T  n  E 


REVELATION  OF  JOHN; 


WITH    ]N"OTES, 


(CRITICAL,  EXPLANATORY,   AND  PRACTICAL, 


DESIGNED  FOR  BOTH  PASTORS  AND  PEOPLE. 


BY 


REV.  HENRY'^COWLES,  D.D. 


"  DnderstaiidcKt  thou  wiiat  thou  readost  ?    And  he  said,  Uow  can  I  niilcsH  sonic 
man  should  guide  me  ?  "—Acts  viii :  30,  31. 


NEW  YORK: 
D.    APPLET  ON    AND    COMPANY, 

549    &    551    BROADWAY 

1877. 


SEP  '^-^TM 


Euteied  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  iu  the  year  1871,  by 

REV.  HENRY  COWLES, 

III  the  Cleik's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  tlie  United  States  for  the 
Northern  District  of  Oliio. 


"v; 


IMIEFAOE, 


The  earnest  request  of  many  readers  of  ray  ^olcs  on  Daniel,  covipkvj 
with  a  deep  conviction  of  the  importance  of  applying  the  same  general 
principles  to  this  book  as  to  that,  has  induced  me  to  prepare  this  vol- 
ume for  the  public.  It  seemed  desirable  also  to  complete  the  prophetical 
books. — Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  numerous  commentaries  on  this 
book  extant  in  our  language  will  perhaps  marvel  that  I  have  passed  them 
with  so  little  notice.  To  such  I  would  say  that  my  system  of  interpreta- 
tion docs  not  rest  on  any  of  those  commentaries,  and  docs  not  need  them 
for  its  fair  and  full  presentation.  I  even  feared  that,  to  arrest  the  course 
of  my  argument  in  order  to  bring  in  to  any  considerable  extent  the  di- 
verse views  of  oUier  critics,  would  not  only  encumber  my  book  in  general 
but  my  argument  in  particular.  Those  who  wish  to  see  how  other  critics 
have  interpreted  this  book  will  readily  gain  access  to  their  volumes. — 
My  aim  has  been  to  evolve  the  laws  of  interpretation  applicable  to  this 
book  out  of  the  book  itself;  out  of  the  already  extant  prophecies  of  the 
Old  Testament ;  and  out  of  the  history  of  those  times.  I  dare  not  assume 
that  this  effort  is  free  from  imperfections ;  but  that  this  method  of  in- 
terpretation— this  conception  of  its  just  principles — must  control  the  con- 
etruction  of  this  book,  seems  to  me  too  plain  to  admit  of  any  question, 
I  lay  down  my  pen  therefore  in  the  hope  that  in  whatever  points  my  ex- 
ecution of  this  plan  has  been  defective,  abler  hands,  coming  after,  will 
bring  it  to  perfection. 

The  Greek  text  of  tliis  book  is  admitted  to  be  more  defective  than 
that  of  any  other  portion  of  the  New  Testament.  I  have  aimed  to  intro- 
duce all  the  recent  corrections  which  seemed  important  for  their  bearing 
upon  the  thought. — A  favoring  Providence  has  brought  within  the  reach 
of  modern  scholars  several  very  ancient  and  valuable  manuscripts  which 
were  unknown  to  those  who  revised  the  text  for  our  received  English 


rr  FREP'ACTB. 

version.  Tlircc  of  these  are  worthy  of  special  mention :  the  Alexandrine, 
dating  probably  about  A.D.  350,  made  in  Alexandria  (Egypt),  and 
bronght  from.  Constantinople  to  England  in  A.D.  1628;  the  Vatican, 
supposed  to  date  about  A.D.  300,  long  imprisoned  in  the  archives  of  the 
Papal  Vatican,  from  ■which  it  takes  its  name,  but  brought  slowly  and  with 
(HfEculty  hito  the  hands  of  able  critics  within  the  past  twenty-five  years ; 
and  the  Sinaitie,  obtained  from  a  convent  on  Mt.  Sinai,  supposed  to  date 
from  about  A.D.  825,  but  unknown  till  the  year  1844,  and  only  within 
the  last  ten  years  carefully  collated  and  brought  before  the  learned  of  oiu 
times.  TischendorPs  edition  of  the  English  New  Testament  gives  tho 
variations  of  the  text  which  appetir  in  two  of  these  very  ancient  manu- 
scripts.— Unfortmiately,  the  Kevelation  of  John  is  wantmg  in  the  Vatican. 

The  theory  that  prophetic  days  really  mean  years — that  all  periods  of 
time  named  in  prophecy  must  be  multiplied  by  three  hundred  and  sixty 
to  get  the  actual  duration — has  controlled  the  interpretation  of  the  Apoc- 
alypse as  given  by  many  English  and  American  critics.  My  views  of  this 
theory  have  been  given  in  the  Appendix  to  my  Commentary  on  Daniel 
(pages  459-466).  Since  this  volume  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  some  who 
may  not  have  access  to  that,  I  have  placed  that  special  dissertation  in 
this  Appendix  also. 

A  special  examination  of  the  teachings  of  Christ,  and  of  His  apostles, 
in  regard  to  the  time  of  His  then  future  comings,  commenced  with  design 
to  append  it  to  the  present  volume,  as  having  important  bearings  upon 
certain  passages  in  the  Revelation  which  speak  of  Christ  as  "  coming 
quickly,"  at  length  took  so  broad  a  range  that  it  has  been  thought  besJ 
to  have  it  appear  in  the  Bibliotheca  Sclera^  July  number  for  18*71. 

HENRY  COWLES. 

Oberwn,  Ohio,  Mardi,l^A. 


HEYELATION. 


INTRODUCTION. 

It  lies  upon  the  face  of  this  book  that  it  was  written  in  a  time 
of  persecution.  The  writer  was  an  exile  in  the  barren  isle  of 
Patmos  because  of  his  testimony  for  Jesus  Christ.  He  wrote  the 
book  to  those  who  were  his  "companions  in  tribulation,"  like 
himself  in  the  point  of  suffering  and  endurance  for  the  Kingdom 
of  Jesus  (1:  9).  The  whole  book  is  addressed  to  the  seven 
churches  of  Asia  (1:  4),  while  the  second  and  third  chapters 
comprise  special  messages  to  each  one  of  these  churches  by  name. 
A  careful  attention  to  these  special  messages  will  show  that  those 
Christians  were  either  actually  suffering  persecution,  or  at  least 
were  exposed  and  in  constant  peril.  The  letters  speak  of  their 
"patience"  (t.  e.,  suffering);  of  their  "tribulation;"  of  some  who 
had  "kept  the  word"  (command)  "of  my  patience"  and  obtained 
the  promise  that  Jesus  would  "  keep  them  from  the  hour  of 
temptation  which  shall  come  upon  all  the  world  to  try  them  that 
dwell  upon  the  earth"  (3:  10);  of  those  who  "had  not  denied 
ray  faith  even  in  those  days  wherein  Antipas,  my  faithful  martyr, 
was  slain  among  you"  (2:  13).  They  were  exhorted  to  "be 
faithful  unto  death,"  with  the  promise  of  gaining  thus  a  crown 
of  life.  Each  message  closes  with  a  speciGc  and  glorious  promise 
to  "  him  that  ovcrconieih."     To  them  the  battle  of  life  was  "  unto 

blood." Altogether  to   the  same  purport  is  the  body  of  this 

"Revelation  of  St.  John."  First,  a  book  (5:  1)  or  scroll  of  des- 
tiny written  on  both  sides  is  unrolled,  disclosing  its  contents  by 
sections  as  one  seal  after  another  is  broken.  One  of  these  seals 
(0:  9-11)  significantly  opens  to  view  "under  the  altar  the  souls  of 

(5) 


b  INTKODUCTION.  *      ' 

them  that  were  shiin  for  the  word  of  Cod  and  for  the  testhnony 
which  they  held;  "  and  they  arc  heard  to  cry  witli  a  loud  voice: 
"  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge 
our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth?"  Then  "white  robes'' 
(of  prospective  victory  and  joy)  "were  given  to  every  one  of  them, 
and  it  was  said  to  them  that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little 
season,  until  their  fellow-servants  also  and  their  brethren  that 
should  be  killed  as  they  were  should  be  fulfilled."  The  obvious 
construction  of  this  passage  implies  that  persecution  was  then 
raging;  that  some  faithful  martyrs  had  already  fallen;  that  their 
murderers  were  then  living  on  the  earth,  their  crimes  yet  unpun- 
ished; and  that  other  Christian  martyrs,  of  their  brethren,  were 
to  be  killed  as  they  had  been  before  God's  sword  of  retribution 

should  smite  the  murderers. Bearing  to  the  same  conclusion 

are  the  scenes  of  chap.  7:  9-17 — the  myriads  of  saved  ones  ar- 
rayed in  white  who  have  "come  out  of  great  tribulation,"  but  are 
seen  at  rest  in  the  fullness  of  joy  before  the  throne  of  God.  So 
the  two  witnesses  (of  chap.  11),  representative  characters,  indicate 
an  age  of  faithful  testimony  for  Jesus  which  cost  human  blood  but 
ended  in  glorious  victory  for  truth  and  for  truth's  Great  King.  So 
throughout  the  scenes  unfolded  in  the  second  part  of  this  book 
(13-18)  we  have  bloody  persecution,  led  on  by  the  Great  Dragon, 
his  auxiliary  forces  being  the  savage  wild  "  beasts ''  (the  first  and 
the  second)  and  the  great  harlot  city-^that  woman  seen  in  vision 
"  drunk  with  the  blood  of  saints  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
of  Jesus"  (17:  6) — throughout  which  scenes  thei'e  was  abundant 
demand  for  "the  patience  of  the  saints"  (13:  10  and  14:  12  and 
12:  17),  and  for  the  assurance  of  blessedness  to  those  that  "die 
in  the  Lord"  and  so  "rest  from  their  labors."  It  can  not  fail  to 
impress  the  attentive  reader  that  every  feature  of  this  book  is 
made  to  bear  upon  the  case  of  Christian  men  and  women  breast- 
ing the  fire  and  flame  of  persecution.  They  are  thought  of  as  in 
the  midst  of  such  conflicts  as  try  men's  souls.  They  are  precisely 
where  they  need  to  see  the  surpassing  majesty  and  glory  of  their 
own  risen  Redeemer  (1 :  13-18).  They  need  the  assurance  of  hia 
presence,  walking  amid  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  searching 
all  hearts,  witnessing  every  believer's  personal  conflicts,  sufferings, 
faith,  love  and  fidelity  to  his  Master;  where  it  must  be  cheering 
to  see  visions  of  myriads  of  men  saved  through  blood  and  fire  and 
to  witness  the  iiieflable  glory  of  their  joy,  and  where  the  judgments 


I>'TRODLX'TION.  7 

jf  the  Almighty  on  his  foes  are  tlie  pledge  of  speedy  victory  to 
Zion's  King  and  people.  Such  comprehensively  are  the  main 
points  made  in  this  book.  Throughout  they  undeniably  assume 
that  the  writer  and  his  first  readers  were  in  the  midst  of  bloody 
persecution,  and  therefore  give  us  beyond  dispute  tlic  moral  purpose 
0/  this  book  of  Itevelation. 

Let  it  now  be  strongly  said  and  deeply  pondered: — This  obvious 
and  -unquestionable  moral  purpose  of  the  book  may  be  relied  on  to  guide 
us  to  its  true  interpretation.  For  no  interpretation  can  be  a  right 
one  unless  it  bears  naturally  and  squarely  toward  attaining  the 
obvious  purpose  of  the  book.  It  can  not  be  admissible  to  put  upon 
it  or  any  part  of  it  a  construction  which  would  frustrate  or  even 
materially  emasculate  its  moral  purpose.  The  reason  of  this  will 
be  obvious.  Every  sensible  and  earnest  author  writes  for  a  pur- 
pose and  makes  his  points  bear  toward  its  attainment.  His  good 
Kcnse  will  appear  in  the  wisdom  and  effectiveness  of  his  adapta- 
tion of  means  to  his  ends :  his  earnestness  will  be  the  guaranty 
that  he  will  surely  try  to  accomplish  his  purpose.  Our  author  is 
wonderfully  strong  in  his  manifestations  of  earnestness — giving 
assurance  therefore  that  he  can  not  forget  his  great  object  in 
writing.  We  shall  see  that  he  is  not  deficient  in  the  good  sense 
that  adapts  his  points  to  their  obvious  purpose.  * 


*Only  for  brevity's  sake  do  I  spoak  of  this  book  as  the  product  of 
John's  owu  mind  and  heart.  I  liold  tlie  wliole  book  to  l)e  inspired,  and 
tlierefore  really  the  mental  product  of  John's  Divine  Teaclipr — the 
mes.sages  and  the  vision  having  been  given  liini  -wXnlQ  " in  the  Spirit." 
Tlieir  wise  adaptation  to  great  moral  ends  and  tliat  earnestness  which 
breathes  in  every  word  and  symbol  are  therefore  primarily  those  of 

I  ho  Divine  Spirit. 1  extend  tlie  remark  here  made  to  the  whole 

subject  of  language,  style,  symbol  and  figure.  For  the  sake  of  brevity 
1  speak  of  all  points  that  arise  under  this  comprehensive  head  as  if 
John  were  the  uninspired  and  only  responsible  author  of  the  book, 
and  every  feature  of  the  style  were  due  to  his  own  taste,  his  own  cast 
of  mind  and  modes  of  speech.  This  way  of  speaking  of  the  language 
and  poetry  of  a  prophet  is  unobjectionable  provided  it  be  fully  under- 
stood that  it  does  not  in  any  wise  ignore  his  prophetic  iusjiiration. 
VoT,  however  the  fact  may  be  exi)lained,  no  one  can  deny  that  the 
style  and  language  of  each  prophet  is  as  truly  his  own,  representing 
his  own  taste,  culture,  cast  of  mind  and  genius,  as  the  style  of  Gibbon 
is  liis  own,  or  the  style  of  Carlyle,  his.  As  to  explanation  of  this  fact. 
It  may  suffice  to  say  "that  God  speaks  to  liis  prophets,  to  each  in  his  own 
tongue,  as  wise  men  now  speak  in  one  style  to  a  child,  in  another  to  a 
youth  or  a  man ;  in  one  style  to  men  of  no  education  ;  in  anotlier,  to 
the  educated,  and  in  their  own  parlance  to  men  of  any  given  profession. 
That  the  inditing  Spirit  should  adapt  himself  to  the  mind  and  tongue 
of  each  ))rophet  is  no  mystery.  The  fact  ajaplies  l)oth  to  messages  given 
to  the  propliet  to  be  spoken  or  written  verbatim,  and  to  revehilions 
made  to  his  prophetic  eye  in  vision,  or  through  a  revealing  an}iel,f)r  by 
any  other  mode  of  comjuuuicating  the  thought  of  God  to  the  mind  oJ 
luau. 


8  INTEODUCTION. 

From  these  principles  I  infer  that  if  the  book  was  written  in 
order  to  produce  certain  moral  impressions  and  effects  upon  its 
first  readers — men  then  living — it  must  have  been  in  the  main  in- 
telligible to  those  men.  Its  words,  its  pictured  scenes,  its  symbols, 
its  allusions  to  God's  enemies  soon  to  be  destroyed,  must  have  been 
brought  down  to  the  average  level  of  their  comprehension.  The 
writer  vieant  to  be  understood — expected  to  be;  for  he  certainly 
must  have  known  that  what  his  readers  could  not  understand 
could  do  them  no  good.  On  this  point  human  nature  was  the 
same  then  as  now :  words  and  symbols  which  men  can  not  under- 
stand are  simply  powerless.  If  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  to 
whom  John  wrote  this  entire  book  (1:4)  could  not  understand 
the  main  and  vital  things  it  contains,  then  it  was  to  them  in  just 
so  far  a  dead  letter — a  book  written  in  vain  as  to  any  effect  upon 
them — a  "revelation"  that  revealed  nothing.  The  notion  that  the 
great  body  of  this  prophetic  book  was  unintelligible  to  its  first 
readers  and  therefore  may  be  interpreted  to-day  to  mean  things 
which  they  could  never  have  imagined,  must  be  for  every  reason 
rejected.  Think  of  the  blessing  promised  to  "him  that  readeth 
and  to  those  that  hear  its  words"  (1:  3);  think  of  the  declared 
gpeedy  fulfillment  of  its  staple  predictions  (1 :  1,  3,  and  4:  1,  and 
22:  6,  10,  12,  20);  the  special  blessing  for  those  who  keep  i.  e., 
observe  and  obey  those  things  written  herein  (1:3,  and  22:  7); 
the  obvious  need  of  just  such  sayings  and  showings  to  support  the 
Christian  faith  and  heroism  of  those  churches  at  that  time;  the 
perfect  adaptation  of  the  things  shown  to  meet  their  case  and 
sustain  their  souls  under  the  sternest  and  bloodiest  of  scenes. 
All  these  points  conspire  to  show  that  the  author  wrote  with  a 
present  object;  consequently,  sought  to  be  understood;  therefore 
must  have  made  himself  fairly  intelligible  to  the  average  capacity 
of  those  church  members;  and  so,  by  resistless  inference,  must 
be  interpreted  to  mean  what  would  lie  within  and  not  beyond  the 
pale  of  their  thought  and  conception. 

I  deem  it  the  more  important  to  show  that  the  book  had  a  great 
and  then  present  moral  purpose;  what  that  purpose  was;  and  the 
inference  as  to  its  interpretation  that  flows  by  necessity  from  it, 
because  in  my  view  these  points  give  us  the  only  reliable  clue  to 
its  just  interpretation.  Overlooking  these  points  or  according  to 
them  only  the  least  possible  influence  upon  its  interpretation,  men 
have  speculated  upon  this  book  in  endless  diversity,  with  no  one 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

result  more  general  and  deep  in  the  public  mind  than  the  break- 
ing down  of  all  confidence  in  prophecy  and  the  special  conclusioa 
that  nothing  can  be  known  with  any  certainty  as  to  the  true 
meaning  of  this  book  of  Revelation. 

As  preliminary  and  essential  steps  in  unfolding  what  T  regard 
as  the  true  sense  of  this  book,  1  must  treat, 

I.  Of  the  Author. 

II.  Of  the  date  of  his  writing. 

III.  Of  his  times — his  circumstances  and  those  of  his  first  readers. 

IV.  Of  the  question — To  whom  precisely  was  this  book  prima- 
rih'  addressed  and  therefore  specially  adapted  ? 

V.  The  various  indications  in  the  book  which  locate  its  pro- 
phetic events  in  place  and  in  time,  and  thus  become  landmarks  to 
guide  to  its  just  interpretation. 

VI.  The  sources  of  the  writer's  figurative  imagery  and  the  bear- 
ing of  these  sources  upon  his  use  of  them  in  this  book. 

VII.  The  principles  or  laws  which  should  control  the  interpre- 
tation of  this  book. 

I.  The  Author. 

The  writer  calls  himself  simply  "John"  (1 :  1,  4,  9,  and  22:  8) 
with  no  further  designation  save  that  he  is  "his"  (Jesus  Christ's) 
"servant,"  and  "your  brother  and  companion  in  tribulation" — 
the  same  who  was  exiled  to  Patmos  (1:  1,  9).  lie  does  not  say 
John  the  Apostle,  nor  John  the  brother  of  James,  or  one  of  the 
sons  of  Zebedcc;  does  not  define  himself  as  "the  disciple  whoK 
Jesus  loved"  (as  in  his  gospel,  13:  23,  and  19 :  26,  and  20:  2, 
and  21 :  7,  20).  Yet  he  makes  no  effort  to  disguise  his  person, 
but  obviously  assumes  that  his  first  readers  will  recognize  hinj 
without  fail  by  the  indications  given.  It  is  therefore  safe  to  con- 
clude that  he  was  well  known  throughout  all  those  seven  churches. 
Tliis  fact  of  itself  leaves  no  room  to  doubt  that  he  was  the  venera- 
ble and  cvery-where  known  Apostle  John.  The  church  history 
of  the  early  ages  from  the  date  of  this  epistle  onward  witnesses  to 
no  other  John  of  such  prominence  and  distinction — a  father  to  the 
churches,  known  and  beloved  by  all. 

This  question  of  authorship  is  not  absolutely  vital  to  the  recep- 
tion and  usefulness  of  this  book,  provided  it  be  admitted  and  sat- 
i.sfactorily  shown  that  the  author  was  one  of  the  inspired  men  of 
the  apostolic  age.     Yet  if  John  the  beloved  disciple  was  truly  the 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

author,  it  is  refreshing  to  know  it.  In  my  view  the  proof  that  he 
was  the  author  is  entirely  conclusive.  Yet  I  am  well  aware  that 
Bome  very  learned  critics  of  our  times  deny  his  authorship,  especi- 
ally on  the  ground  of  the  great  diversity  of  style  between  thia 
book  and  the  fourth  gospel  and  the  three  epistles  attributed  to 
John.  Consequently  the  question  should  be  the  more  carefully 
examined  and  the  strong  points  of  proof  more  fully  presented. 

1.  In  the  first  place  the  voice  of  the  most  ancient  Christian 
Fathers  is  strongly  and  almost  unanimously  for  him  as  the  author, 

The  testimony  of  Papias,  bishop  of  Hierapolis  (Col.  4  :   13)  in 

Phrygia  (flourished  in  the  first  years  of  the  second  century)  and 
who  may  have  seen  John  personally,  shows  only  that  he  held  the 
book  to  be  of  apostolic  origin  and  wortliy  of  our  Christian  faith 
("  axiopiston").  He  says  nothing  adverse  to  the  opinion  that  John 
was  the  author.     The  presumption  is  that  in  his  day  there  was  no 

occasion  to  affirm  this. The  active  life  of  Polycarp,  bishop  of 

Smyrna,  spanned  the  first  half  of  the  second  century  and  the  lat- 
ter years  of  the  first.  He  is  spoken  of  as  a  personal  companion 
and  disciple  of  John;  but  we  reach  his  views  on  the  point  before 
us  only  by  inference  from  the  well  known  views  of  his  pupil  Jrc- 
neus.  The  latter  speaks  explicitly  of  the  Apostle  John  as  the  au- 
thor of  this  book. Justin  Martyr  (flourished  A.  D.  140-164), 

the  earliest  author  and  scholar  after  the  apostles,  writes:  "A 
man  from  among  us"  (Justin  was  of  Palestine)  "%  name  John, 
one  of  the  apostles  of  Christ,  in  the  revelations  made  to  him,  has 
prophesied  that  those  who  believe  in   our  Messiah  shall   live  a 

thousand  years   in  Jerusalem,"  etc. Melito,  bishop  of  Sardis 

(one  of  those  seven  churches),  who  flourished  in  the  third  quarter 
of  the  second  century,  "wrote  a  treatise  on  the  Apocalypse  of 
John."     This  is  the  language  of  Eusebius  (Book  4,  chap.  26),  and 

can  be  fairly  construed  of  no  other  than  John  the  Apostle. 

Theophilus,  bishop  of  Antioch  {A.  D.  169-180),  is  reported  by 
Eusebius  (Book  4,  chap.  24)  as  drawing  "testimony  from  the 
Apocalypse  of  John"  in  a  work  of  his  entitled,  "Against  the  her- 
esy of  Hermogenis," Eusebius   says  the  same  of  Apollonim 

(Book  5,  chap.  IS),  who  was  of  Asia  Minor,  latter  part  of  the  sec- 
ond  century. Ireneits,  trained    in  Christian  life  and  doctrine 

under  Polycarp  of  Smyrna  till  about  A.  D.  150;  then  sent  as  a 
missionary  to  the  south  of  France  (Gaul),  where  he  was  bishop 
of  Lyons  (A.  D.  177-202),  witnesses  abundantly  that  John  the  dis- 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

ciple  of  the  Lord  wrote  the  Apocalypse.  His  testimony,  found  iu 
his  great  work  "  A<;ainst  Heresies,"  is  chiefly  in  the  form  of  quo- 
tations from  the  Apocalypse,  spoken  of  as  "  the  words  of  John." • 

Clement  of  Alexandria  (A.  D.  19:2-220)  quotes  from  this  book  witk 

tlie  remark,  "As  John  says  in  the  Apocalypse." Tcrtullian  cf 

Carthage  (A.  D.  1 99-220)  in  many  passages  refers  to  the  Apoca- 
lypse as  being  "  the  work  of  the  Apostle  John." Origen,  the 

greatest  biblical  scholar  among  the  Christian  fathers  to  his  day; 
in  early  life  of  Alexandria  (Egypt),  but  in  later  life  of  Palestine; 
born  A.  D.  185,  died  A.  D.  2J4,  makes  his  testimony  signally  ex- 
plicit :  "  John  who  leaned  on  the  bosom  of  Jesus  has  left  us  one 
gospel,  and  he  wrote  also  the  Apocalypse."  lie  speaks  of  this 
John  as  "being  the  son  of  Zebedee;  "  also  as  being  "condemned 
to  the  Isle  of  Patmos  for  bearing  his  testimony  to  the  word  of 
truth." 

This  list  of  witnesses  and  recital  of  their  testimony  might  be 
very  greatly  extended.  I  have  selected  the  earliest  witnesses  be- 
cause they  are  most  likely  to  be  original  and  direct,  and  therefore 
have  the  highest  value.  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt  that  these  wit- 
nesses give  us  the  prevalent  opinions  of  those  who  first  received 
this  book  from  the  pen  of  John  and  of  their  successors — sons  and 
grandsons,  pupils  and  grand-pupils,  of  the  nearest  subsequent 
years. 

2.  In  respect  to  historic  testimony  it  should  however  be  dis- 
tinctly stated  tliat  a  very  few  counter  voices  are  heard;  but  their 
doubt  or  denial  of  the  authorship  of  John  is  obviously  traceable 
either  (1)  to  doctrinal  prejudice  against  the  book;  or  (2)  to  their 
inference  from  its  peculiarities  of  style,  compared  with  the  fourth 

gospel. As  to  doctrinal  prejudice,  the  facts  are  in  brief  that  a 

few  Christians  in  the  second  century  and  onward  gave  this  book 
an  extremely  literal  and  even  a  repulsively  gross  and  sensual  in- 
terpretation, which  so  disgusted  many  of  their  brethren  tliat  they 
discredited  tlie  book  itself,  denying  its  divine  authority,  and  of 
course  denying  that  it  was  written  by  the  Apostle  John.  It  was 
apparently  under  the  influence  of  this  feeling  that  the  scholarly 
Dyonisius  of  Alexandria  raised  the  question  whether  the  John 
whose  name  appears  in  this  book  was  not  another  man — a  posi- 
tion which  he  supported  by  appealing  to  its  diversity  of  style, 
compared  with  the  fourth  gospel.  8uch  counter  testimony  con- 
sidered as  properly  historic  is  obviously  of  no  account.     It  fails  to 


i  2  INTKODUCTION. 

touch  the  only  really  historic  question,  viz.,  What  were  the  views 
of  those  vrho  personally  knew  the  author,  and  who  received  the 
book  from  his  well-known  hand  ?  And  what  voice  did  they  hand 
down  to  their  children  and  to  their  pupils  of  the  next  and  of  suc- 
ceeding generations  ?  On  this  simply  historic  question  there  secraa 
to  be  no  ground  for  any  difference  of  opinion. 

3.  Internal  traits  go  far  to  prove  that  the  same  John  who  wrote 
the  fourth  gospel  and  the  three  epistles  wrote  also  the  Kevelation. 
Note  how  he  identifies  himself  by  his  use  of  special  terms  and 
phrases  and  by  his  dominant  ideas  of  gospel  truth,  and  also  by  his 
modes  of  conceiving  and  representing  them. 

(1.)  Observe  that  he  alone  of  all  the  New  Testament  writers, 
thinks  and  speaks  of  Jesus  Christ  as  "  the  Word  of  God."  This 
name  stands  out  prominently  in  the  Revelation  (19:  13) :  "Ilis  name 
is  called  the  Word  of  God."  It  is  equally  prominent  in  the  very 
opening  of  the  fourth  gospel:  "In  the  beginning  was  the  Word, 
and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God."  .  .  "And 
the  Word  was  made  flesh,"  etc.  (1:  1,  14.)  In  the  epistle  also: 
"The  Word  of  life"  (1:  1),  and  in  the  disputed  and  doubtful 
passage  (5:  7)  "The  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost." 
[If  we  admit  that  this  last  passage  came  into  our  copies  by  inter- 
polation, still  it  must  have  gained  and  held  its  place  on  the 
strength  of  its  harmony  with  John's  usage  and  with  the  views  of 
the  ancient  church.] 

(2.)  By  John  alone  of  all  the  New  Testament  writers  Jesus  i.s 
thought  of  and  seen  as  "a  Lamb  slain  for  an  atoning  sacrifice." 
AVe  have  this  view  in  the  Revelation.  In  the  midst  of  the  heavenly 
elders  is  seen  "a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,"  to  whom  they  sing: 
"  Thou  wast  slain  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood"  (5: 
6,  9,  12).  "  The  book  of  life  of  the  Lamh  slain  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world  "  (13  :  8).  The  victors  on  the  sea  of  glass  sing  the 
song  of  Moses  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb  (15:  3).  And  in  the 
same  strain  of  thought — "  To  him  that  loved  us  and  washed  us 
from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood"  (1  :  5).  Now  obseiTC  how  per- 
fectly in  harmony  with  this  way  of  thinking  and  speaking  you  find 
the  fourth  gospel :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the 

gin  of  the  world"   (1 :  29,  3G). Peter  approximates  toward  this 

(1  Eps.  1:  19),  comparing  Christ  to  a  lamb,  but  no  other  New 

Testament  writer  save  John  fully  reaches  it. The  reader  will 

bear  in  mind  also  that  this  figure  is  the  more  remarkable  in  the 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

Revelation  because  the  tone  and  purpose  of  the  book  should  more 
naturally  present  Christ  as  tlie  Lion  than  as  the  Lamb — the  Lion 
who  treads  down  his  foes  ratlier  than  the  Lamb  who  dies  a  sac- 
rifice for  his  friends. 

(3.)  Allusions  to  the  manna  of  the  wilderness  appear  in  the 
New  Testament  in  this  wi'iter  only;  in  llev.  2:  17, — "To  hira 
that  overcomcth  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna:"  and  in 
the  fourth  gospel  (6 :  48,  58),  "  My  Father  giveth  you  the  true 
bread  from  heaven"  [the  real  manna]. 

(4.)  Only  in  the  imagery  of  this  New  Testament  writer  are  tlie 
blessings  of  salvation,  "waters  of  life,"  given  to  all  the  thirsty  ones. 
Sec  in  Rev.  21:  6,  and  22:  1,  17.  "I  will  give  unto  him  that  is 
athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  "Let  him  that 
is  athirst  come.  AVhosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life 
freely."  In  his  gospel  history,  see  7:  37:  "In  the  last  day,  that 
great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying,  '  If  any  man 
thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink.  He  that  believcth  on  mc, 
out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water." 

(5.)  In  his.  style  of  thought  and  speech,  preaching  the  gospel 
is  "witnessing,"  "testifying,"  bearing  testimony  to  the  truth.  We 
see  this  throughout  the  Apocalypse,  e.  g.,  in  1 :  2,  and  2:  13 
["martyr"  is  the  Greek  word  hv  witness],  and  3:  14,  and  6:  9, 
and  11:  3,  7,  and  12:  11,  17,  and  10:  10,  and  20:  4,  and  22:  16, 
18,  20.  In  the  fourth  gospel  we  have  the  same  use  of  this  lan- 
guage, 5:  39,  and  15:  26,  27,  and  18:  37.  "For  this  cause  (said 
Jesus  before  Pilate)  came  I  into  this  world  that  I  should  bear 
witness  to  the  truth."  Sec  also  the  author's  description  of  his  work 
(21 :  24) :  "  This  is  the  disciple  which  icstificth  of  these  things  and 
wrote  these  things ;  and  we  know  that  his  icstimony  is  true." 
"Witnessing"  appears  in  the  same  general  sense  in  the  first 
epistle  (1 :  2,  and  5 :  9,  10).  These  modes  of  thought  and  speech 
appearing  prominently  and  uniformly  throughout  all  his  books  go 
very  far  indeed  to  identify  the  author  of  them  all  as  the  same 
man. 

(6.)  We  carry  this  argument  but  one  step  further  M-hcn  we 
adduce  the  fact  that  this  book  of  Revelation  and  the  fourth  gospel 
are  essentially  at  one  in  their  great  cardinal  points  of  Christian 
faith,  as  well  as  in  their  peculiar  forms  of  expression.  No  points 
of  revealed  truth  can  be  more  fundamental  than  the  one  already 
introduced  above — Jesus  Christ  an  atoning  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of 


i4  INTRODUCTIO^^ 

men.  We  have  seen  that  this  view  is  prominent  in  t!ie  gospel, 
the  epistle,  and  the  Revelation.  So  also  is  the  doctrine  that  Jcsvts 
is  King  and  Lord  af  all^  worthy  of  equal  honor  with  the  Father, 
and  actually  receiving  it  in  heaven  itself.  The  gospel  gives  us  the 
eternal  Word  who  "  was  in  the  beginning ;  was  with  God ;  and 
was  God ;"  by  whom  "  all  things  were  made  "  (1 :  1,  13) ;  to  whom 
'*  the  Father  hath  committed  all  judgment''  (5:  22),  and  who  him- 
self speaks  of  "  the  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the 
world  was"  (17:  15).  The  first  epistle  indorses  this  doctrine  in 
most  concise  but  explicit  terms : — "  This  is  the  true  God  and  tlie 
eternal  life"  (I  John  5 :  20).  With  surpassing  fullness  and  splendor 
the  Apocalypse  corroborates  this  doctrine  by  its  open  visions  of 
the  homage  and  worship  accorded  by  all  the  hierarchies  of  heaven 
in  equal  strains  to  "  Him  that  siltcth  upon  the  thron-e  and  unto  the 
Lamb  forever  and  ever."  This  worship  is  suj^reme;  none  higher 
is  known  ia  heaven.  It  therefore  indorses  the  true  divinity  of 
Jesus  Christ,  in  harmony  with  both  the  fourth  gospel  and  the 
epistles  of  John,  and  iu  a  form  of  testimony  than  which  none  can 

be  stronger. In  the  same  line  of  argument  it  might  be  shown 

that  all  these  writings  concur  in  presenting  Jesus  as  the  Ufe  of 
his  people,  their  Shepheiil,  their  Defender;  while  the  Apocalypse 
makes  specially  prominent  his  relation  as  the  Avenger  of  their 
martyred  blood, 

(7.)   Objections  considered. 

The  strong  points  of  objection  arc, — (a.)  The  poetry  and  the 
symbols  of  the  Apocalypse  have  a  tone  of  grandeur  and  sub- 
limity so  unlike  the  plain  simplicity  and  the  metaphysical  ab- 
stractness  of  the  fourth  gospel  and  of  the  epistles  that  they  can 

not   be   supposed    to    have    come   from    the  same   author. To 

which  I  reply  that  the  poetry  and  the  prose  of  the  same  author 
are  naturally  veiy  unlike.  Compare  the  prosaic  history  given  Ex. 
14 :  19-31,  and  15 :  19,  with  the  poetic  song  of  Ex.  15  :  1-18.  What 
could  be  more  unlike  ?  But  the  same  Moses  wrote  both.  Or  com- 
pare the  fii-st  two  chapters  of  Ilabakkuk  with  the  third;  or  Isa.  37 
with  Isa.  60 ;  or  Dan.  6  with  Dan.  7 ;  or  Job,  chapters  1  and  2,  with 
any  or  all  of  the  others;  or  2  Sam.  22:  1  with  vs.  2-51.  Surely 
it  is  no  strange  thing  that  the  same  writei-,  especially  if  he  have 
genius,  imagination,  and  sublimity  in  him,  should  make  his  poetry 
very  diverse  from  his  prose.  And  whether  we  are  able  to  give 
all  the  reasons  for  it  or  not,  we  have  the  fiict   that  prophecy 


IXTEODUCTION.  15 

does  come  to  us  clothed  (usually)  in  the  loftiest  poetry  and  often 
in  the  grandest  symbols.  Yet  these  poetic  and  sublime  pi'opheta 
have  given  us  also  some  very  plain  and  unpoetic  prose.  To  which 
it  may  appropriately  be  added  that  the  author  of  the  Apocalypse 
shows  by  manifold  allusions  that  he  has  been  reading  those  grand 
old  Hebrew  prophets,  Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  Daniel,  and  Zechariah,  and 
that  his  mind  is  filled  with  their  sublime  conceptions.  Is  it  then 
any  marvel  that  his  own  style  should  catch  their  strain;  or  rather, 
that  his   soul  should   enkindle   from  contact  with   their  seraph i<; 

lire? Let  us  also  bear  in  mind  that  the  Apocalypse  was  prolj- 

ably  written  from  ten  to  twenty  years  before  the  fourth  gospel  and 
the  three  epistles,  and  consequently  when  the  writer  had  more  of 
the  fire  and  vivacity  of  his  youth  than  when  under  the  weight  of 
more  than  fourscore  years  he  penned  his  gospel  and  epistles. 
JMen  of  the  noblest  powers  must  pass  with  the  lapse  of  years  from 
the  buoyancy  and  glow  of  youth  and  manhood  to  the  more  cahn 
sedateness  of  old  age.  Need  it  surprise  us  if  their  writings  evince 
it? 

(6.)  It  is  objected  that  the  tone  of  tenderness,  sympathy,  and 
love  which  appears  in  the  fourth  gospel  is  far  removed  from  the 
sternness,  the  terror,  and  the  vengeance  which  reign  in  the  Apoc- 
alypse.  But  are  not  the  zephyrs  and  the  hurricanes  from  the 

same  God?  The  dews  and  the  deluges — come  they  not  from  the 
same  Author  ?  The  whispei'ing  calls  of  mercy  and  the  thunder 
tones  of  the  judgment  trump — are  they  not  from  the  same  Jesus? 
Is  there  not  one  hour  for  beseeching  men  to  be  reconciled  to  God, 
and  another  hour  for  the  vials  of  his  wrath  upon  those  whom  no 
mercy  can  toucU  and  no  forbearance  and  no  warnings  can  reclaim  ? 
And  precisely  to  our  present  point,  may  not  God  employ  the  game 
tongue  and  pen  to  utter  both  the  one  and  the  other  ? Specifi- 
cally it  is  claimed  that  the  three  epistles  of  John  breathe  a  tender 
spirit  as  from  a  loving  father  to  his  well-beloved  children ;  but 
that  the  messages  to  the  seven  churches  have  the  air  of  authority, 

reproof,  and  threatening. This  difference  is  rather  strongly  put, 

yet  no  one  can  deny  that  a  measure  of  it  exists.  To  account  for 
it  I  suggest  that  in  the  messages  to  the  seven  churches  the  speaker 
is  rather  Jesus  himself  than  John  the  amanuensis;  and  moreover, 
that  the  emergency  was  such  as  to  call  for  the  most  solemn  earnest- 
ness. The  tone  in  those  seven  messages  is  rather  that  of  tre- 
mendous  earnestness  than  of  asperity  or  vengeance.     A  fearful 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

strain  was  upon  the  piety  of  those  churches — -a  time  of  stern  and 
portentous  trial  throuj^h  Avhich  none  could  pass  unscathed  uniesa 
their  souls  should  be  aroused  to  see  their  peril.  Hence  the  spirit 
of  those  messages. 

(c.)  It  is  claimed  that  the  original  Greek  of  the  Apocalypse  is 
more  tinged  with  Hebraistic  words  and  grammatical  forms  than  that 
of  the  known  writings  of  John. 1  reply,  it  is  now  generally  con- 
ceded that  the  Aramean  (a  dialect  of  the  Hebrew)  was  the  spoken 
language  in  Palestine  at  the  time  of  Christ,  and  therefore  was  the 
mother  tongue  of  his  Jewish  disciples.  When  they  began  to  push 
the  gospel  into  the  outlying  countries,  and  to  write  out  its  records 
for  the  reading  of  the  civilized  world,  a  knowledge  of  Greek  be- 
came a  necessity.  But  being  in  their  minds  superinduced  upon 
their  vernacular  Hebrew,  it  was  inevitable  that  their  newer  Greek 
would  be  shaded  more  or  less  by  their  older  Hebrew.  Precisely 
this  appears  in  every  New  Testament  writer,  yet  in  various  de- 
grees. I  freely  admit  the  fact  put  forward  in  the  objection  above- 
named,  i.  e.,  that  the  Apocalypse  is  more  deeply  shaded  with  the 
Hebrew  tint  than  the  fourth  gospel  or  the  three  epistles  of  John. 
But  this  fact  can  be  accounted  for  without  any  serious  damage  to 
the  evidence  that  the  same  John  wrote  the  Apocalypse.  For  (1.) 
This  Apocalypse  was  written  (it  is  conceded  by  the  best  critics) 
several  years  earlier  than  the  gospel  and  the  epistles,  when  John 
was  but  recently  arrived  in  Asia  Minor  from  his  Palestine  home, 
and  hence  was  less  familiar  with  classic  Greek  and  more  fresh 
from  his  Aramean  vernacular  than  in  his  later  years:  and  (2.) 
His  exile  in  Patmos,  we  must  assume,  was  cheered  by  the  deep 
and  ardent  study  of  the  old  Hebrew  prophets.  ^;resh  from  their 
perusal,  he  turned  to  the  writing  of  the  Apocalypse — of  which  the 

book  bears  most  abundant  traces. These  important  fticts  in  his 

case  suffice  to  show  that  his  Hebraistic  style  in  the  Apocalypse 
compared  with  his  gospel  is  altogether  what  we  ought  to  expect. 
If  the  preponderance  of  Hebrew  style  were  the  other  way — the 
more  abundant  traces  in  the  later  writings  and  not  in  the  earlier, 
and  when  farther  removed  from  the  immediate  influence  of  the  old 
prophets,  then  the  argument  against  the  common  authorship  of  all 
these  books  would  be  very  strong,  if  not  even  conclusive. 

(d.)  A  vast  amount  of  labor  has  been  expended  to  bring  out  a 
class  of  words  which  occur  in  the  Apocalypse  and  not  in  the  fourth 
gospel;  and  vice  versa,  another  class  from  the  fourth  gosjel,  not 


INTKODUCTION.  17 

found  in  the  Apocalypse.     The  same  thing  is  also  shown  to  some 

extent  in  respect  to  special  grammatical  forms. But  this  sort  of 

ai-gument  seems  to  me  to  have  little  force.  It  is  offset  in  part  by 
the  fact  of  very  considerable  and  indeed  somewhat  striking  sim- 
,ilai-ities,  going  to  identify  the  author  of  both  books  as  the  same. 
And  why  may  not  all  the  real  diversities  be  accounted  for  by  the 
different  dates  of  the  books;  the  changes  due  to  his  greater  famil- 
iarity with  classic  Greek  after  many  more  years  of  practical 
contact  with  it ;  and,  not  least,  to  the  great  difference  in  the  sub- 
jects treated  of— the  difference  natural  between  the  loftiest  poetry 
and  the  plainest  prose  ? 

n.  The  Date  of  the  Wkiting. 

This  question  involves  some  real  difficulty,  especially  on  its  his- 
toric side.  Yet  it  has  very  considerable  importance  in  its  bearings 
upon  the  interpretation  of  the  book,  and  therefore  calls  for  a  care- 
ful and  candid  examination. On  this  question  of  date,  critical 

opinions  fall  into  two  classes,  one  assigning  it  to  the  reign  of  Nero 
(about  A.  D.  64-68),  and  the  other  to  the  reign  of  Domitian  (A. 
D.  95-96).  It  is  well  known  that  violent  persecution  raged  at 
both  these  periods,  and  it  is  possible  that  John  was  banished  to 
Patmos  twice — i.  e.,  by  both  Nero  and  Domitian,  and  that  this  fact 
occasioned  the  confused  and  discordant  notices  that  appear  in  the 
early  fathers  in  regai"d  to  the  time  of  his  banishment  and  the  date 
of  this  book. 

In  respect  to  d<ite,  I  will  speak, 

1.  Of  the  internal  evidence — that  whicli  appears  in  the  book  it- 
self; and 

2.  Of  the  external,  as  found  in  fragmentary  notices  by  the 
Christian  fathers. 

1.  Internal.     Under  this  head  I  adduce 

(1.)  The  fact  that  the  culpable  practices  which  appear  in  the 
seven  churches  (chaps.  2,  3)  are  those  of  the  early  and  mid-apos- 
tolic ages — precisely  those  against  which  the  churches  of  Asia 
were  specially  warned  by  the  circular  "epistle"  of  the  first  Chris- 
tian council  (Ac.  15),  and  which  appear  in  Paul's  first  letter  to 
the  church  at  Corinth.  Thus  in  Pergamos  the  practices  indicated 
ns  "  the  doctrine  of  Dalaara"  were  these  two:  eating  things  offered 
to  idols  and  fornication  (Rev.  2:  14).  The  doctrine  of  the  Nico- 
laitanes,  appearing  in  both  Pergamos  and  Ephesus,  was  very  sim 


18  INTEODUCTIOX. 

ilar  (2:  15).  Precisely  the  same  practices  appear  in  Thyatira, 
inculcated  by  one  called  "Jezebel"  (2:  20).  By  a  remarkable 
coincidence,  the  evils  against  ■which  the  first  council  at  Jerusalem 
specially  warned  the  churches  were  prominently  these  two  (Acts 
15:  20,  29).  ■  In  Corinth  the  eating  of  things  offered  to  idols  was 
one  of  the  live  questions  then  pressing  sharply  upon  the  churches 
(1  Cor.  8).'  I  need  not  say  that  fornication  was  a  second  special 
subject  for  rebuke  and  warning  in  that  church. Thus  it  ap- 
pears that  the  great  moral  questions  and  immoral  practices  which 
pressed  sorely  upon  the  churches  at  the  date  of  the  Jerusalem 
council  (A.  D.  50  or  52)  and  at  the  date  of  Paul's  letters  to 
Corinth  (A.  D.  57-58)  were  the  very  things  condemned  in  the 

seven  churches  of  Asia. But  it  will  be  asked,  Were  not  these 

evils  rife  in  the  age  of  Domitian?  Possibly  they  were;  but  the 
latest  N.  T.  books,  viz.,  the  gospel  and  the  epistles  of  John,  give 
no  hint  of  it.  Other  historical  records  of  that  age  are  scanty; 
but  so  for  as  I  know  are  silent  on  these  points.  It  is  intrinsically 
improbable  tliat  the  questions  in  regard  to  eating  meats  offered  to 
idols  Avould  have  continued  practically  unsettled  forty  years  (from 

A.  D.  50  to  A.  D.  90). This  argument   amounts  in   my  view 

only  to  a  strong  probability — not  to  a  demonstration. 

(2.)  The  churches  of  Asia  were  suffering  severely  from  per- 
nicious teachers  claiming  to  be  Jcivs.  In  Ephesus  were  some  who 
said  they  were  apostles  but  were  not  (2:  2);  in  Smyrna  the 
troublers  said  they  were  Jews,  but  were  more  "the  synagogue  of 
Satan"  (2:  9);  in  Philadelphia  were  the  same  class  precisely 
(3  :  9) ;  while  the  personage  called  Jezebel  (2:  20),  claiming  to  be 

a  prophetess,  was  probably  a  Jewess  also. Thus  the  troublers 

of  the  seven  churches  at  the  date  of  this  book  were  remarkably 
well  defined— either  actually  being  Jews,  or  at  least  claiming  to 

be. Now  let  it  be  also  considered  that  the  first  council  was 

called  (A.  D.  50  or  51)  to  counteract  the  mischiefs  of  Judaizing 
teachers.  The  letters  of  Paul  to  the  Galatians  (A.  D.  5G)  and  to 
the  Colossians  (A.  D.  62)  disclose  the  presence  and  mischiefs 
of  the  same  set  of  men.  These  were  churches  of  Asia,  adjacent 
to  the  seven  to  whom  John  wrote.  Paul's  first  letter  to  Timothy 
(1  :  3,  4,  7),  written  A.  D.  65,  alludes  to  men  causing  trouble  in 
Ephesus  and  puts  upon  them  two  Jewish  marks — "  given  to  end- 
less genealogies;"  and  "desiring  to  be  teachers  of  the  law."  In- 
deed the  early  apostolic  age  was  constantly  annoyed  by  this  class 


INTRODUCTION.  10 

of  men. Thus  we  see  the  most  entire  coincidence  between  tlia 

case  of  the  seven  churches  as  it  appears  in  these  letters,  and  the 
case  of  other  churches  of  Asia  in  the  years  A.  D.  50-66. 

llere  too  (as  before)  the  question  must  be  met:  Did  not  this 
annoyance  from  Jewish  and  Judaizing  teachers  continue  down  to 

the  age  of  Domitian  ? 1  answer,  All  existing  historical  evidence 

is  strongly  against  it.  The  later  books  of  the  New  Testament 
give  not  the  least  allusion  to  such  teachers.  While  the  earliest 
heresies  that  annoyed  the  Christian  churches  came  from  Judaism, 
the  next  in  order — the  second  generation  of  them — sprang  from 
contact  with  Pagan  philosophies  and  science,  "falsely  so  called" 
— to  which  it  is  generally  conceded  some  of  the  latest  writers  of 

the   New  Testament  allude. What  history  thus   testifies,  the 

nature  of  the  case  strongly  sustains.  The  fall  of  Jerusalem  and 
the  utter  destruction  of  the  temple  naturally  struck  Judaism  down. 
More  than  one  million  of  Jews  perished  in  that  fearful  fall;  the 
rest  were  scattered  far  abroad.  The  hope  of  bringing  the  Gentile 
converts  into  Jewish  ritualism  was  forever  blasted  ;  the  power  and 
prestige  of  this  Judaizing  element  fell,  never  to  rise.  Ilence  the 
inference  seems  irresistible  that  the  seducers  in  the  seven  churches 
when  John  wrote  must  have  been  of  the  age  of  Nero  and  not  of 
the  age  of  Domitian.  Of  course  the  book  was  written  in  the  for- 
mer age  and  not  in  the  latter. It  may  not  be  amiss  to  suggest 

that  we  have  here  another  special  element  in  the  retributions  upon 
the  Jews  of  which  chapters  4-11  speak,  since  they  are  before  us 
not  only  as  the  first  and  most  malign  persecutors  of  the  infant 
Christian  church,  but  also  as  its  first,  most  persistent,  most  an- 
noying and  dangerous  seducers. 

(3.)  The  seventh  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse  presents  a  scene  in 
which  four  mighty  angels  are  holding  in  suspense  the  fearful  ele- 
ments of  retributive  vengeance  until  another  angel  might  place 
the  seal  of  God  upon  the  foreheads  of  his  faithful  servants.  The 
central  idea  and  also  in  the  main  its  costume  seem  to  be  taken 
from  Ezek.  8  and  9 :  "  Go  through  the  midst  of  the  city  and  set  a 
mark  upon  the  foreheads  of  the  men  that  sigh  and  cry  for  all  its 
abominations  :"  this  done,  let  the  others  go  through  the  city  and 
smite,  only  come  not  near  any  man  who  bears  the  mark!  Here 
in  the  scenes  of  this  apocalj'ptic  vision,  John  first  hears  the  num- 
ber of  the  sealed — "one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  of  all 
the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel,"  and  indeed  definitely  twclvo 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

thousand  from  each  of  the  twelve  tribes.  That  these  represent 
the  Christian  converts  gathered  from  the  lineal  Jews  is  made 
doubly  certain  by  the  counterpart  of  this  first  sealing,  viz.,  the 
view  of  "a  great  multitude  which  no  man  could  number  of  all 
nations  and  kindreds  and  people  and  tongues ; "  that  is.  Gentile 
converts  of  every  land  and  tribe,  seen  before  the  throne  already 
clothed  in  white,  ascribing  their  salvation  to  God  and  the  Lamb. 
kSo  much  the  gospel  had  then  achieved  already.  The  scathing 
judgments  that  were  about  to  smite  the  Jewish  world  and  in  due 
time  the  Gentile,  would  find  so  many  garnered  in  safety,  housed  in 

their  eternal  home  before  the  storm  should  burst. Now  the 

definite  point  of  my  argument  is  that  this,  sealing  of  Jewish  con- 
verts, considered  as  a  propJiecy,  appears  to  be  precisely  coincident 
with  that  of  Jesus  Christ  in  his  prediction  of  the  fall  of  Jerusalem 
and  of  the  previous  gathering  of  his  elect,  as  given  in  Mat.  24:  31 
and  Mark  13:  27.  The  personal  preaching  of  Jesus  and  the  earli- 
est mission  labors  of  his  disciples  turned  first  to  "  the  lost  sheep 
of  the  house  of  Israel"  (Mat.  10:  5,  6,  13).  Forty  years  God 
waited  and  wrought  patiently  to  gather  in  those  lost  ones.  Jesus 
prophetically  represents  this  gathering  as  to  be  done  within  the 
life-time  of  that  generation  (Mat.  24:  34  and  Mark  13:  30),  i.  e.,  to 
be  finished  before  Jerusalem  should  fall.  The  sealing  and  rescu- 
ing of  the  elect  Jews  in  Rev.  7  bears  every  trace  of  being  the  same 
great  fact.  Hence  its  location  in  time  shortly  preceded  the  fall 
of  that  city,  and  if  the  fulfillment  precedes  that  fall,  so  and  much 
more  must  the  prophecy  itself 

(4.)  In  the  same  general  line  of  thought  and  of  argument  we 
have  a  remarkable  coincidence  between  our  Lord's  prediction  (Luke 
21:  24),  "Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles;"  and 
of  the  temple  (Mat.  24 :  2),  "  There  shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone 
upon  another  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down  ;  "  and  the  prediction 
through  the  Revelator  John  (Rev.  11 :  2),  "The  court  that  is  out- 
side the  temple  leave  out,  for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
holy  city  shall  thoy  tread  underfoot  forty-two  months."  Both  these 
predictions  concur:  («)  that  Jerusalem  was  a  doomed  city;  (i) 
that  it  should  be  trodden  down  by  unhallowed  Gentile  feet  [the 
Roman  armies] ;  and  (c)  that  even  the  presence  of  the  holy  tem- 
ple within  it  should  not  shield  it  from  this  desolation.  My  argu- 
ment as  to  the  date  of  the  Apocalypse  turns  on  the  strong  presump- 
tion that  this  passage  (Rev.  11:2)  synchronizes  with  Christ's  pre- 


INTKODUCTION.  21 

diction  of  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  and  therefore  proves  that  at  th« 

date  of  its  ■writing,  the  city  had  not  yet  fallen. Very  strong  to 

the  same  point  is  the  statement  in  the  same  context  (v.  13): 
"And  the  same  hour  was  there  a  great  earthquake,  and  the  tenth 
part  of  the  city  fell" — which  certainly  assumes  that  the  whole 
city  had  not  'previously  fallen^  but  was  standing.  The  date  of  its 
actual  fall  is  well  known,  viz.,  A.  D.  70.  This  prophecy  v/^as 
written,  therefore,  shortly  before  this  fall. 

(5.)  The  account  given  of  the  murder  of  the  "two  witnesses," 
naming  the  very  place  where  their  dead  bodies  lay  exposed  and 
insulted  (Rev.  11 :  8) — "in  the  street  of  the  great  city  which  spir- 
itually is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also  our  [their]  Lord  was 
crucijicd,'^  puts  the  finger  of  prophecy  precisely  upon  Jerusalem, 
and  obviously  conceives  of  it  as  standing  at  the  time  of  this 
vision,  and  indeed  at  the  time  when  the  murder  of  the  two  wit- 
nesses took  place.  This,  taken  in  connection  with  the  points 
made  from  chap.  7  and  from  chap.  11:2,  would  certainly  seem  to 
fix  the  date  of  these  events  and  of  course  the  date  of  the  book 
which  predicts  them,  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

(6.)  Eev.  17  is  professedly  an  explanation  of  the  more  prominent 
symbols  in  the  seven  chapters  (13-19),  inasmuch  as  the  angel  said 
(v.  7),  "  I  will  tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast 
that  carrieth  her,  who  hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns."  lu 
this  explanation  the  woman  is  shown  to  be  "that  great  city" 
(Rome)  "which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth"  (v.  18),  and 
which  "sat  on  seven  hills"  [mountains].  Specially  to  our  purpose 
it  is  said,  "  There  are  seven  kings  (v.  10)  of  whom  five  are  fallen, 
and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come."  Ilere  the  one  that  is, 
placed  in  a  series  with  certain  preceding  ones  fallen,  and  another 
following,  "  not  yet  come,"  must  beyond  all  reasonable  question  be 
tiie  king  then  on  the  throne  of  Rome  when  this  book  was  written. 
It  is  safe  to  aflirm  that  John  could  not  have  given  the  date  of  his 
writing  more  precisely  and  conclusively  than  he  has  done  here 
unless  he  had  given  the  very  name  of  Nero.  But  there  were 
obvious  reasons  why  it  was  not  prudent  to  give  his  actual  name, 
lie  meant  however  to  describe  him  so  that  his  readers  need  be  in 

no  doubt. Now  since  the  question  of  date  is  narrowed  down  to 

a  choice  between  the  reigns  of  Nero  and  of  Domitian,  it  only  re- 
mains to  say  that  this  dynasty  of  Roman  kings  [emperoi's]  began 
luquestionably  with  Julius  Cicsar,  after  whom  we  count  Augustus, 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

Tiberius,  Caligula,  Claudius,  making  the  five  who  had  fallen,  and 
reach  Nero,  the  sixth,  of  whom  the  angel  then  said,  "One  is." 
Galba  followed  "to  continue  but  a  short  space"  (v.  10) — accord- 
ing to  history,  but  seven  months.  The  symbol  and  the  angel's 
count  had  no  occasion  to  carry  the  list  of  kings  further.  If  carried 
on  however  and  all  counted  in,  Domitian  would  have  been  the 
twelfth.  Of  course  the  present  tense  of  the  book — the  date  of  the 
vision — was  not  under  Domitian,  but  was  under  Nero.  But  beyond 
all  question  in  proof  that  Nero  was  the  one  head  of  the  beast  then 
in  power  when  John  wrote  is  the  fact  that  he  is  absolutely  identi- 
fied by  "  the  number  of  his  name  "  (13:  18).  See  my  notes  on  the 
passage. 

(7.)  There  are  at  least  two  books  in  the  New  Testament  (the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  and  2  Peter)  which  are  thought  to  con- 
tain allusions  to  the  Apocalypse.  If  this  shall  appear,  it  will  follow 
that  the  Apocalypse  was  in  existence  when  these  books  were 
written.     Let  us  then  examine  a  single  passage  in  the  Epistle  to 

the  Hebrews  (12:  22,  23). On  the  point  of  motives  to  a  holy 

life,  the  writer  is  contrasting  the  case  of  the  Hebrews  before  Mt. 
Sinai  with  the  case  of  the  Hebrew  Christians  of  his  own  day  before 
the  corresponding  Mt.  Zioa.     He  says  (v.  18),  "Ye  are  not  come 

unto  that  merely  material,  tangible  mount  [Sinai] but  ye  are 

come  unto  [a  spiritual]  Mt.  Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living 
God,  the  Heavenly  Jerusalem" — [in  Kev.  21:  2,  "The  holy  city, 
New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven"]: — "And 
to  an  innumerable  company  of  angels,"  [the  reader  may  see  them 
in  Rev.  5  :  11,  12,  and  7:11,  12];  "to  the  general  assembly  and 
church  of  the  first-born  which  are  written  in  heaven"  [see  the 
writing  of  their  names  in  the  book  of  life,  Rev.  21 :  27,  and  13 : 
8,  and  20 :  12] ;  "  and  to  God  the  Judge  of  all "  [Rev.  20  :  11,  12] ; 
"and  to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect"  [who  stand  before 
us  remarkably  throughout  this  book  of  Revelation,  e.  g.,  5 :  8-10, 
and  6:  9-11,  and  7:  13-17,  and  15:  2-4,  and  21  and  22].  It 
seems  to  me  highly  probable,  not  to  say  almost  certain,  that  the 
writer  to  the  Hebrews  had  in  his  eye  these  salient  points  of  the 
book  of  Revelation.  These  points  are  in  his  book  for  precisely  the 
purpose  which  the  writer  to  the  Hebrews  had  before  him,  viz. :  as 
constituting  that  magnificent  and  most  impressive  array  of  motives 
which  under  the  gospel  were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  Christian 
life,  fts  compared  with  the  corresponding  motives  arrayed  before 


INTEODUCTION.  23 

the  ancient  Hebrew  people  even  in  those  most  impressive  scenes 

at  Mt.  iSinai. In  his  2d  Epistle  (3:   10,  13)  Peter  makes  two 

points  which  the  reader  will  notice:  (1)  that  "the  heavens  shall 
pass  away"  and  "the  earth  be  burnt  up;  "  (2)  that  "we,  accord- 
ing to  his  promise,  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  wherein 
dwclleth  righteousness."  John  has  it  (Rev.  20:  11)  "The  earth 
and  the  heavens  fled  away;"  and  (21:  1)  "I  saw  a  new  heaven 
and  a  new  earth,  and  the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were 
passed  away."  The  righteous  only  dwelt  there  (21 :  27,  and  22  : 
14).  Here  then  we  have  both  the  fact  of  the  passing  away  of  this 
present  earth  and  heavens,  and  the  promise  of  the  new.  With  a 
high  degree  of  probability  Peter  had  the  Revelation  of  John  before 
him  and  adopted  its  descriptive  terms.  But  Peter  fell  a  martyr 
under  Nero's  persecution,  and  therefore  wrote  this  epistle  before 
Nero's  death.  The  date  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Ilebrews  is  not 
known  precisely,  but  no  critics  within  my  knowledge  have  placed 
it  so  late  as  the  reign  of  Domitian. 

2.  It  remains  to  speak  of  the  external  evidence — that  of  the  early 
Christian  fathers.  This  is  far  from  being  uniform,  clear  and 
direct.  Unfortunately  the  earliest  fathers  (Barnabas,  Clement  of 
Rome,  Papias,  Polycarp  and  Justin  Martyr) — the  very  men  whose 
testimony  would  have  been  most  valuable — fail  us  altogether. 
They  either  omitted  all  allusion  to  this  point  as  being  well  enough 
understood  without  their  testimony,  or  what  they  wrote  has  per- 
ished. The  earliest  of  the  fathers  whose  testimony  has  been  relied 
on  ia  Ireneus,  who  wrote  his  book  "Against  Ileresies,"  A.  D. 
175-180.  His  youth  was  spent  in  Asia  Minor,  but  all  his  man- 
hood and  Christian  work  lay  in  Ancient  Gaul  [France].  From 
the  dim  light  that  reaches  us  it  would  seem  that  his  statements  as 
they  were  understood  shaped  the  opinions  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome 
on  this  question,  and  that  they  naturally  controlled  the  views  of 
subsequent  authors.  Hence  it  becomes  important  to  examine 
carefully  what  Ireneus  said — the  more  so  because  it  is  at  least 
supposable  (I  think  even  probable)  that  his  testimony  as  to  the 

date  of   the  Apocalypse  has   been  misunderstood. The  only 

passage  appealed  to  as  giving  his  testimony  occurs  in  some  remarks 
upon  "the  number  of  the  beast"  (Rev.  13:  IS),  which  stand  in 
our  received  text  666.     The  original  Greek  is  this.  * 

• "  Il/ue^f  aw  ovK  airoKtvc^vvevo/iev  nepc  tov  ovo/iaio^  tov  AvT/;(ptaTov 
a~o<fan-ofiEvoi  /3e,3a<wri/icjr,  £i  }«/->  £i>'£'  avaipavdov  r^  vvv  KaioC)  KtiovTTEQOai 


24  INTRODUCTION. 

It  may  be  translated  thus: — "Therefore  we  do  not  imperil  ^the 
churches]  by  announcing  the  name  of  the  Antichrist  plainly,  for 
if  it  were  safe  and  wise  at  the  present  time  to  proclaim  his  name, 
it  would  have  been  done  by  him  who  saw  the  visions  of  the  Apoc- 
alypse, for  it  is  not  a  very  long  time  since  he  was  still  to  be  seen, 
but  almost  in  our  own  age,  near  the  close  of  the  reign  of  Domi- 
tian.''  This  passage  has  been  generally  understood  to  say  that 
the  vision  of  the  Apocalypse  was  seen  in  the  age  of  Domitian,  and 
it  seems  to  have  been  the  standard  authority  for  that  opinion  with 
the  Christian  authors  of  the  third  and  fourth  centuries  and  onward. 
His  testimony  turns  on  the  single  point  whether  in  the  last  clause 
it  is  he  (John)  who  was  still  seen  among  the  churches  in  the  age 
of  Domitian,  or  it  (the  vision)  which  was  then  first  seen.  The 
logic  of  the  passage,  the  course  of  thought,  should  be  mainly  relied 

on  to  decide  this  question. 1  understand  the  logic  of  Ireneus 

thus : — Obviously  it  was  not  prudent  to  give  Nero's  name  during 
his  life.  But  John  lived  down  to  the  time  of  Domitian  when  Nero 
was  thirty  years  dead.  So  far  forth  therefore  the  circumstances 
had  materially  changed.  Now,  says  Ireneus,  if  the  necessity  for 
divulging  the  real  name  of  Nero  is  so  great  and  the  danger  from 
doing  it  so  small  that  we  ought  to  have  the  name  brought  out  now, 
then  the  same  was  true  in  the  time  of  Domitian,  and  John  would 
have  disclosed  the  name  himself.  He  did  not  do  it,  for  though 
Nero  was  dead,  yet  Eome  still  lived,  a  persecuting  power.  The 
danger  from  Nero's  personal  vengeance  was  long  since  passed 
away,  but  other  Neros  might  arise  on  the  same  Roman  throne ; 
therefore  John  remained  silent:  so  let  us.  Hence  the  logic  of  the 
passage  requires  that  the  thing  seen  in  the  last  clause  of  this 
passage  should  be  John  yet  living  in  his  extreme  old  age,  and  not 
the  vision  itself.     The  supposition  that  it  was  the  vision  nullifies 

the  argument  of  the  passage. Or  thus:  The  argument  assumes 

that  it  would  have  been  dangerous  and  therefore  unwise  to  give 
Nero's  name  openly  during  his  life;  also,  that  John  lived  a  long 
time  after  Neros  death,  so  that  if  it  were  proper  to  give  Nero's 
name  when  Ireneus  wrote,  it  was  equally  so  in  the  last  years  of 
John,  and  he  would  have  given  the  name  to  the  churches  then  him- 
self.  Origen  seems  to  take  the  same  view  of  the  case,  and  per- 

To  m'Ofia  avTov,  61  ckeivov  av  eppcdrj  tov  koi  rrjv  ATTOKakvrptv  iupaKoroq' 
ovSe  yap  irpo  iro^lov  xpovov  Eupadrj,  alia  cx^oov  £-c  rf/g  i)jieTepa^  yci'eaf, 
TTyOOf  TdJ  teIei  TTJg  iiofiETcavov  apx'/c" 


INTEODUCTION.  25 

haps  tbe  same  view  of  this  passai^c  from  Ireneus  when  he  says, 
"  The  king  of  the  liomans  as  tradition  teaclics  condemned  John  to 
the  Isle  of  Patmos  for  his  testimony  to  the  word  of  truth ;  and  John 
taught  many  things  about  his  testimony,  yet  did  not  say  who  c»n 

denuied  him  in  all  that  he  has  written  in  his  Apocalypse."  * 

Several  fathers  of  the  tliird  century  and  the  fourth  speak  of  John's 
writing  this  lx)ok  in  connection  with  his  banishment  to  Patmos, 
which  they  locate  in  Domitian's  reign.  Yet  some  of  them  are  not 
explicit  as  between  Nero  and  Domitian.  Clement  of  Alexandria 
eays  John  was  banished  by  ^' ike  tyrant'' — a  name  appropriate 
enough  to  either,  yet  in  usage  applied  less  to  Domitian  and  more 
to  Nero. 

A  very  ancient  Latin  fragment  [quoted  in  Stuart's  Apocalypse, 
1 :  20G]  comes  down  to  us,  probably  of  the  second  century,  saying, 
"  l*aul,  following  the  order  of  his  own  predecessor  John,  wrote  in 
the  same  way  to  only  seven  churches  by  name."  This  assumes 
that  John  wx-ote  the  Apocalypse  befoi-e  Paul  wrote  the  last  of  his 
seven  letters  to  as  many  churches  by  name.  The  latest  date  of 
Paul's  seven  was  about  A.  D.  G4.  He  died  under  Nero's  persecu- 
tion.  Eusebius  [bishop  of  Cesarea,  A.  D.  314-340]  in  his  his- 
tory (book  3 ;  chap.  18,  and  bk.  5 :  8)  speaks  of  John  as  being 
banished  to  Patmos  and  of  seeing  his  visions  there  m  the  reign  of 
DoMiTiAX,  but  quotes  Ireneus  (the  very  passage  above  cited)  as  his 

specific  authority.      Did   he  not  misunderstand   Ireneus? lie 

also  refers  to  a  current  tradition  to  the  same  effect,  which  how- 
ever may  have  grown  out  of  mistaking  the  sense  of  Ireneus. 

Jerome  [born  A.  D.  331;  died  A.  D.  420]  held  the  same  opinion, 
apparently  on  the  authority  of  Ireneus  as  above  and  of  Eusebius. 

Yictorinus  of  Petavio  [died  A.  D.  303]  in  a  Latin  commentary 

on  the  Apocalypse,  says  that  "John  saw  this  vision  while  in  Pat- 
mos, condemned  to  the  mines  by  Domitian  Cajsar." Many  others 

of  a  later  age  might  be  cited  to  the  same  purport,  witnessing  how- 
ever only  to  a  current  tradition  which  so  far  as  appears  may  have 
jome  from  the  language  of  Ireneus,  under  a  misunderstanding  of 
iiis  meaning. 

{)n  the  other  hand  the  Syriac  translation  of  the  Apocalypse  has 
this  superscription:  "The  Revelation  which  was  made  by  Cod  to 
John   the   Evangelist   in  the  Island  of  Patmos   to  Avhich  he  was 

<•  See  Stuart's  Apocalypse,  vol.  1,  p.  271. 

9 


26  INTRODUCTION. 

banished  Ly  Xero  the  Emperor."  Most  of  the  Hyriac  New  Testa- 
ment (known  as  the  "Peshito"),  i.  e.,  all  the  unquestioned  books,  are 
supposed  to  have  been  translated  late  in  the  first  century  or  vei-y 
early  in  the  second ;  but  the  Syriac  version  of  the  Apocalypse  is 
rot  so  old.  Yet  Ephraim  the  Syrian  of  Nisibis  [died  A.  D.  378] 
wrote  commentaries  on  nearly  the  whole  Bible ;  often  appeals  to 
the  Apocalypse ;  but  wrote  only  in  Syriac  and  probably  was  un- 
acquainted with  Greek  and  therefore  must  have  had  this  book  in 
the  Syriac  tongue.  This  superscription  seems  to  testify  to  a  cur- 
rent tradition  in  Syria  at  least  as  far  back  as  his  day,  assigning 

the  date  of  the  book  to  the  age  of  Nero. Of  later  witnesses, 

Andreas  of  Cappadocia  [flourished  about  A.  D.  500],  in  a  com- 
mentary on  this  book,  favors  the  Neronian  date.  Arethas  also,  his 
successor  [about  A.  J).  540],  yet  more  decisively.  lie  assumes 
the  book  to  have  been  written  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 

for  he  explains  chapters  6  and  7  as  predictions  of  that  event. 

Plainly  then  the  traditions  of  the  early  ages  and  the  testimony  of 

the  fathers  were  not  all  in  favor  of  the  Domitian  date. Some 

incidental  circumstances  strongly  favor  the  earlier  date;  e.  g.,  the 
account  given  in  much  detail  by  Eusebius  [Ec.  His.  3  :  23],  who 
quotes  Clement  to  the  effect  that  John  after  his  return  from  this 
banishment  in  Patmos,  mounted  his  horse  and  pushed  away  into 
the  fiistnesses  of  the  mountains  to  reach  a  robber  chief  who  had 
apostatized  from  the  Christian  faith.  But  Jerome  represents  John 
in  the  last  years  of  his  life  (i.  e.,  at  the  time  of  Domitian's  perse- 
cution) as  being  so  weak  and  infirm  that  he  was  carried  by  other 
hands  with  difficulty  to  his  church-meetings  to  say  in  tremulous 

tones:  "My  little  children,  love  one  another." These  traditions 

of  the  aged  apostle,  compared  with  each  other  and  with  the  prob- 
abilities of  the  case,  seem  to  forbid  us  to  assign  the  date  of  the 
Apocalypse  to  the  reign  of  Domitian. 

The  conclusion  to  which  I  am  brought  after  much  investigation 
is  that  the  historic  testimony  for  the  Domitian  date  is  largely 
founded  on  a  misconception  of  the  passage  from  Ireneus,  and  as 
a  Trhole  is  by  no  means  so  harmonious,  so  ancient,  and  so  decisive, 
a3  to  overrule  and  set  aside  the  strong  internal  evidence  for  the 
earlier  date.  I  am  compelled  to  accept  tlie  age  of  Nero  as  the 
Inie  date  of  this  wrltiny;. 


IlfTEODUCTIOX.  27 

III.   Of  the  TIMES  under  lohich  the  Look  was  written. 

Here  the  important  facts  naturally  fall  under  tlu'cc  heads.  The 
first  should  present  the  personal  circumstances  of  the  writer  and 
of  his  first  readers  whom  he  primarily  addressed.  Of  this  perhaps 
enough  has  been  said  in  the  opening  pages  of  this  Introduction, 
the  great  central  fact  lying  out  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  book, 
indicating  the  writer  to  be  in  banishment  and  his  readers  in  peril 
and  fierce  temptation  in  the  presence  of  impending  persecution. 
Then  (2.)  we  should  recall  to  mind  the  condition  of  the  Jew- 
ish people  and  nation;  and  (3.)  in  like  manner  the  state  of  Rome, 
both  these  nations  being  before  us  in  this  book  as  great  perse- 
cuting powers,  incurring  the  retributive  vengeance  of  the  Almighty 

and  about  to  feel  its  fearful  visitations. (2.)  As  to  the  Jews 

many  of  my  readers  will  scarcely  need  to  be  reminded  that  while 
a  few  of  the  nation  had  received  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  great  ma- 
jority had  scornfully  rejected  him;  that  spiritually,  these  masses 
were  fearfully  apostate  from  God;  that  morally,  society  was  rotten 
to  the  core ;  that  the  high  priest's  office  was  bought  and  sold  for 
money,  and  sometimes  seized  and  held  by  an  armed  force  of  ban- 
dits and  assassins  ;  that  their  bitter  hostility  to  Jesus  passed  over 
after  his  death  upon  his  followers  with  augmented  virulence  ;  that 
the  stoning  of  Stephen,  the  murder  of  James,  the  incessant  perse- 
cutions of  Paul,  the  instigation  of  the  Roman  civil  magistrates  in 
cities  where  they  had  no  civil  power  in  their  own  hands,  combine 
to  evince  their  imjjlacable  hostility  against  Christ  and  all  his 
faithful  servants ; — in  short,  that  the  measure  of  their  iniquity 
was  now  full ;  the  day  of  hope  and  mercy,  though  long  protracted, 
was  now  about  to  close,  and  "the  hour  of  her  judgment  had 
come."  Through  the  lips  of  her  national  Council,  as  well  as  by  the 
voice  of  her  populace,  she  had  demanded  the  crucifixion  of  the  Son 
of  God,  and  had  cried,  "  His  blood  be  on  us  and  on  our  children ! " 
The  imprecation  had  been  heard,  the  challenge  accepted ;  and 
now  upon  the  children  of  those  who  shouted,  "Crucify  him!"  his 
blood  was  indeed  about  to  come  in  appalling  retribution  !  That 
fearful  doom  of  which  Moses  had  forewarned  them  (Lev.  2G :  14- 
43,  and  Deut.  28  :  15-68) ;  that  doom  which  wrung  tears  from  the 
greater  "Man  of  Sorrows"  as  he  beheld  the  city  and  recalled  the 
murder  of  so  many  generations  of  prophets  and  righteous  men 
within  her  walls  (Mat.  23:  34—39);  that  ruin  which  Jesus  so  defi- 
nitely foretold   as  destined  to  bury  her  proud  city  in  ruins  and 


28  INTEODUCTION. 

leave  not  one  stone  upon  another  of  her  glorious  temple; — thai 
doom  was  now  waiting  only  for  its  last  signal  to  burst  forth  upon 
her.  The  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  were  in  readiness  for  his 
angels  of  death,  and  Prophecy  at  so  late  an  hour  could  scarcely 
think  of  forewarning  the  doomed.  It  seemed  to  have  no  other  uiis- 
bion  save  to  comfort  the  people  of  (iod  and  assure  them  that  the 
Lord  was  about  to  smite  the  hopelessly  hardened  and  guilty  Jews 

"  because  his  mercy  eudurcth  forever.'' The  heavens  were  black 

with  these  storm-clouds  of  the  wrath  of  God  while  John  lay  in 
Patmos.  His  prophetic  eye  was  opened  and  uplifted  to  the  visions 
thereof  as  seal  after  seal  was  broken,  and  trump  after  trump  rung 

out  its  blast  of  impending  doom. Such  on  the  Jewish  side  were 

the  salient  features  of  the  times  when  this  book  was  written. 

(3.)  To  the  student  of  ancient  histoiy,  if  moderately  well  read, 
the  Rome  of  Nero's  time  is  familiar.  Eight  centuries  of  war  and 
conquest  had  filled  Italy  with  enslaved  captives,  Rome  with  the 
spoil  and  plunder  of  the  civilized  world  and  its  consequent  ener- 
vation and  vices,  and  her  throne  with  a  succession  of  emperors 
whose  crimes  and  misrule  beggar  description.  The  reaction  and 
debasement  of  ages  of  oppression  were  upon  her,  and  her  turn  had 

come  to  be  herself  scourged  with  War's  desolations. Rome, 

moreover,  was  radically  and  intensely  idolatrous.  Reverence  for 
her  gods  had  been  studiously  engrafted  into  her  civil  institutions 
and  made  one  of  the  main  pillars  of  her  political  system.  To  fill 
up  the  cup  of  her  abominations,  the  emperors  in  the  dynasty  of 
the  Caesars  had  exalted  themselves  to  the  rank  of  gods,  and  de- 
manded of  their  people  divine  honors.  It  was  to  such  a  people 
that  Paul  set  forth  with  trenchant  power  the  sin  of  idolatry — its 
war  against  the  light  of  natui'e  and  the  law  of  conscience,  and  its 
natural  and  inevitable  debasement  of  morals  and  of  all  society. 
The  first  two  chapters  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans  were  meant 

primarily  for  the  Rome  of  the  age  of  Nero. Yet  the  case  of 

Rome  differed  in  some  points  from  that  of  Jerusalem ;  mainly  in 
the  fact  that  she  had  sinned  against  less  light.  To  this  it  was  due 
iliat  the  hour  of  her  final  ruin  Avas  more  remote.  The  forbearance 
of  God  had  yet  more  time  to  run.  Iler  case  had  its  remarkable 
parallel  in  ancient  Babylon.  Alike,  each  had  been  the  great  op- 
pressing power  of  contemporary  nations — as  to  God's  people,  each 
had  been  first  the  scourge  in  God's  hand  against  them,  and  then 
was  to  be  herself  scourged  for  her  oppressions;  but  especially  were 


INTEODUCTIOX.  29 

"tlioy  alike  in  tl)c  manner  in  wliicli  propliccy  made  tlic  predicted 
future  judgments  upon  each,  minister  to  the  comfort  of  (iod's  suf- 
fering i)eople,  and  witness  to  the  righteous  retribution  -which  he 
will  surely  visit  upon  the  nations  that  array  themselves  against 
his  Zion.  Moreover,  God's  predicted  judgments  on  Bab3'lon  tilled 
out  ages  of  history  in  their  completion;  and  the  same  is  true  of 

his  judgments  on  the  second  great  Babylon — Pagan  Rome. 

Coming  back  now  to  a  neai-er  and  closer  view  of  the  Rome  of  the 
Apocalypse,  we  have  Nero — another  name  for  tyranny  and  crime. 
Ciibbon  sets  him  forth  in  moderate  terms  as  "profligate  and  cruel," 
and  adds  of  him  and  the  other  emperors  of  his  age,  "  They  are 
condemned  to  everlasting  infamy."  History  recites  his  unnatuml 
murders — of  mother,  brothers,  wives ;  states  that  a  fearful  con- 
flagration of  nine  days'  continuance  having  destroyed  the  greater 
part  of  Rome,  and  it  being  generally  believed  that  the  fire  was 
kindled  by  his  order,  Nero,  to  silence  this  report,  charged  the 
act  upon  the  Christians,  and  thus  excited  against  them  a  most 
barbarous,  implacable,  and  universal  persecution.  Wild  beasts, 
crucifixion,  and  fire  in  its  most  torturing  forms,  were  the  common 

instruments  of  suffering   and   death. There  seems   to  be  no 

reason  to  doubt  that  this  persecution  extended  to  other  portions 
of  the  empire.  The  known  will  of  the  sovereign  would  at  least 
give  the  license,  and  human  depravity  would  supply  the  malice 

rc(iuisitc  to  violence  and  blood. Thus  the  old  idolatrous  harlot 

— "mother  of  abominations" — made  herself  drunk  with  the  blood 
of  the  saiots  and  martyrs  of  Jesus ;  and  now  the  time  draws  on 
for  God  to  "give  her  blood  to  drink  without  measure."  The 
hour  of  her  judgment  is  near  at  hand; — prophetic  vision  paints 

fur  us  its  glowing  and  terrible  outlines. Such,  then,  in  respect 

to  the  Rome  of  that  age  were  the  times  in  which  the  visions  of 
the  Apocalypse  were  shown  and  recorded. 

IV.  To  whom  precisely  was  this  look  primarily  addressed  atid 
therefore  specially  adapted'?  and  what  was  its  great  moral  pur- 
pose f 

This  question  has  vastly  important  bearings  upon  the  true  in- 
terpretation of  the  book.  One  of  the  first  conditions  precedent  to 
the  true  interpretation  of  any  written  document  is  to  ascertain 
for  whom  it  was  written,  and  what  their  circumstances  and  wants 
were,  that  so  we  may  master  the  special  aim  and  pui-pose  of  the 


30  INTEODUCTION. 

writer.  When  we  have  the  people  before  us  for  whose  special 
benefit  he  wi'ote,  and  when  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  the 
writer  knew  their  case  well,  wrote  to  be  understood  by  them,  and 
therefore  adapted  himself  to  their  capacities  and  to  their  circum- 
stances, we  begin  to  feel  ourselves  on  solid  ground  as  to  a  fair 
comprehension  of  what  he  wrote  and  of  its  just  interpretation. 
Thus,  e.  g.,  the  interpreter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  finds  it 
exceedingly  useful  to  consider  that  the  people  primarily  addressed 
were  mostly  Jews  resident  in  Rome — the  same  class  with  whom 
(Acts  28:  23)  Paul  "reasoned  out  of  their  own  scriptures  from 
morning  to  evening."  So  also  the  epistles  to  the  chiirch  at  Corinth 
are  set  in  full  sunlight  only  when  you  study  Corinth  itself — its 
philosophical  culture,  the  national  pride  therein,  and  its  dissolute 
morals,  coupled  also  Avith  the  special  purposes  which  the  letters 
themselves  clearly  indicate.  So  in  the  book  before  us,  we  must 
know  to  whom  it  was  primarily  addressed  and  for  whom  there- 
fore it  was  specially  adapted. On  this  point  the  notion  has 

been  somewhat  common  that  although  the  second  and  third  chap- 
ters were  addressed  specifically  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia, 
therein  named,  yet  this  was  true  of  those  chapters  only, — the  rest 
of  the  book  having  no  specific  address — no  special  adaptation  to 
any  body  of  people  well  defined  either  in  place  or  time.  It  has 
been  loosely  supposed  to  belong  rather  to  the  world  at  large  and 
indefinitely ;  somewhat  to  the  age  now  passing,  and  much  of  it 
yet  more  definitely  to  the  ages  yet  to  come.  It  is  claimed  by 
those  who  take  this  view  that  prophecy  was  not  written  to  be  un- 
derstood by  its  first  readers.  God  expected  it  would  be  and  meant 
it  should  be  in  the  main  unintelligible  to  them,  and  indeed  that  it 
should  never  admit  of  a  just  and  real  interpretation  until  its  ful- 
fillment should  bring  out  its  meaning.  Some  of  this  class  of  in- 
terpreters of  prophecy  seem  to  think  it  a  most  sublime  idea  that 
God  should  throw  out  prophecies  of  the  distant  and  magnificent 
future,  and  then  wait  in  the  majesty  and  dignity  of  an  inscrutable 
Being  till  remote  ages  should  come  up  with  their  revealing  light 
and  give  mankind  their  first  just  ideas  of  its  meaning. An  ex- 
haustive discussion  of  this  theory  of  prophecy  would  detain  me 
too  long  and  turn  me  aside  too  much  from  my  present  special 
work.  I  must  pass  it  therefore  with  suggesting  three  serious  and 
indeed  fatal  objections  against  it. 

(1.)  In  just  so  fur  as  this  theory  makes  the  true  sense  of  proph- 


INTRODUCTIOK  31 

ecy  depend  upon-  the  fulfilling  event  and  not  upon  the  revealing 
words,  it  strikes  at  the  very  nature  of  prophec}' — which  surely 
claims  to  predict  future  events  in  language  which  reveals  what 
the  event  shall  be  before  the  event  is.  This  element  being  ab- 
htracted,  written  prophecy  becomes  in  itself  no  prediction  of  things 
future,  for  the  things  future  must  needs  reveal  themselves  and  so 
give  their  first  intelligible  sense  to  the  so-called  prophetic  words. 

This  theory  pushed  as  far  as  some  would  push  it  brings  the 

predictions  of  the  Bible  upon  substantially  the  same  basis  as  the 
ambiguous  sayings  of  the  ancient  Delphic  oracle  to- Croesus: 
"  Crossing  the  great  river  you  destroy  a  great  nation ; " — the 
event  alone  determining  whether  the  "great  nation"  would  be 
his  own  or  his  enemy's.  "Whatever  tends  to  degrade  the  proph- 
ecies of  the   Bible  to  this   low  form   is   to  be  not  only  deplored 

but  reprobated. To  prevent  a  possible  misunderstanding  of  my 

position,  let  me  say  (a.)  That  a  morally  right  heart,  docile  and 
unprejudiced,  is  naturally  prei-equisite  to  the  understanding  of 
prophecy,  as  it  is  also  of  any  and  every  word  of  God:  (f>.)  That 
usually  the  points  which  God  makes  in  prophecy  are  rather  gen- 
eral than  particular.  Prophecy  is  intelligible  when  so  put  that  we 
can  get  substantially  the  truth  which  God  meant  to  reveal,  (c.) 
Other  things  being  equal,  nearer  events  will  be  more  easily  and 
perfectly  understood  than  more  remote,  because  men  more  per- 
fectly understand  the  attendant  circumstances. 

(2.)  This  theory  in  its  application  to  the  book  before  us  is 
fatally  confronted  by  the  manifold  indications  of  a  definite  moral 
purpose  and  aim,  of  such  sort  as  presupposes  that  the  predictions 
are  intelligible  and  are  in  fact  mainly  understood.  This  is  pre- 
eminently true  in  this  book  of  Revelation.  There  is  no  book  in 
all  the  Bible  which  bears  more  obvious  and  certain  marks  of 
a  definite  and  strong  moral  purpose,  indicating  every-where  that 
the  things  said  were  designed  to  be  understood  and  to   have  an 

immediate  and  powerful  moral  influence  on  their  first  readers. 

Can  it  be  necessary  to  argue  this  point  ?  Surely  nothing  can  be 
more  absurd  than  the  theory  that  God  sent  to  the  seven  churches 
of  Asia  a  series  of  predictions  for  the  solemn  purpose  of  girding 
their  souls  to  "  endure  a  great  fight  of  afllictions,"  but  yet  with 
design  made  these  predictions  unintelligible — i.  c,  as  to  them 
utterly  unmeaning?  Will  it  be  assumed  that  God  expected  to 
move  the  minds  of  men  in  tliat  way? 


^2  INTRODUCTION. 

(3.)  This  theory  that  prophecy  is  usually  unintelligible  until  tlio 
event  reveals  its  meaning  is  squarely  confronted  by  the  facts  of  ths 
case.  Did  not  the  Jewish  scribes  learn  from  prophecy  where 
Christ  should  be  bo^rn  ?  (Mat.  2:  4-C).  Did  not  the  disciples  un- 
derstand Christ's  prophecy  of  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  and  the  imme- 
diate sign  of  that  fall  (Luke  21:  20,  21)  and  so  escape  from 
Jerusalem  to  Fella — the  "mountains"  across  the  Jordan  ?  Did 
they  kill  the  sense  of  that  prophecy  by  mj^stifying  the  word  "Je- 
rusalem" as  many  critics  mystify  the  literal  landmarks  which 
appear  in  the  Apocalyj^jse  ?  And  is  it  not  the  fact  that  the  Mes- 
sianic prophecies  in  general  were  very  fairly  interpreted  by  the 
Jews  long  before  Christ  came,  as  appears  in  the  Septuagint  trans- 
lation and  in  the  Chaldee  Targums  ? 

It  is  therefore  both  pertinent  and  important  to  inquire,  Wkc 
were  those  first  readers  to  whom  the  book  teas  dfinitcly  addressed 

and  to  whose  case  it  was  cojisequently  adapted  f Fortunately  we 

have  the  best  possible  evidence  on  this  point — the  author's  own 
annouTvcement  in  the  opening  of  the  book — "  John  to  the  seven 
churches  of  Asia  "  (1 :  4);  "I  John,  your  brother  and  companion  in 
tribulation,  was  in  Patmos  .  .  .  and  being  in  the  spirit  on 
the  Lord's  day,  I  heard  behind  me  a  great  voice,  saying,  What 
thou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and   send  it  unto    the  seven  churches 

Avliich  are  in  Asia,"  etc.  (1  :  9-11). But  the  abjector  will  claim 

that  this  refers  exclusively  and  solely  to  chapters  second  and  third, 
and  has  no  reference  to  the  remaining  chapters  which  are  the 
great  body  of  the  book. To  Avhich  1  answer,  That  is  bald  as- 
sumption, and  what  is  more,  is  an  assumption  squarely  in  the 
face  of  the  testimony  of  the  book  itself.  For  surely  the  author 
and  the  inditing  spirit  ought  to  be  allowed  to  give  the  address  of 
the  book,  i.  e.,  to  say  to  whom  it  was  in  fact  addressed.  The  proper 
place  to  say  this  is  in  the  opening  of  the  book,  and  again  perhaps 
it  its  close.  Precisely  in  these  places  do  we  find  his  testimony  to 
this  point.  The  opening  testimony  I  have  cited.  The  closing 
testimony  is  af  the  same  purport:  "I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel 
to  testify  unto  you  these  things  in  the  churches."  "  The  Lord  God 
of  the  holy  prophets  sent  his  angel  to  show  unto  his  servants  the 
hir>gs  which  must  shortly  he  done*'  (22:  IG,  6).  Therefore  these 
'churches,"  these  "servants"  were  then  living,  i.  e.,  they  were 

the  churches  of  Asia  Minor. But  although  this  testimony  alone 

is  amply  sufficient,  yet  more  can  be  adduced.     I  call  the  reader's 


INTKODUCTION.  33 

attention  to  the  fact  that  the  special  messages  to  the  seven 
churches  as  they  stand  in  chaj^ters  2  and  3  are  not  isolated  and 
disconnected  from  the  rest  of  the  book,  but  are  interlaced  in  tlio 
strongest  way,  both  with  chapter  1  which  precedes,  and  with  tho 
cliapters  that  come  after,  especially  chapters  10-22.     Let  us  see. 

In  the  face  and  the  fear  of  persecution  unto  blood,  a  time  of 

stern  trial  came  upon  all  those  churches  of  Asia.  They  were  not 
in  all  respects  ready  to  meet  this  trial  and  stand  up  with  steady 
faith  and  unflinching  soul  for  Jesus.  What  must  be  done  for 
tlicm?  what  considerations  must  be  brought  before  them  to  gird 

them  for  endurance  unto  victory  ? First,  the  great  Alpha  and 

Oinoga,  their  glorified  Lord  and  Savior,  appears  in  surpassing 
mnjesty  to  John  (1  :  12--20).  Uut  let  it  be  distinctly  noted:  this 
transcendently  glorious  manifestation  of  Christ  was  not  made 
solely  or  even  maiuly  for  the  sake  of  its  impression  upon  John 
alone.  A  more  important  purpose  was  to  impress  the  seven 
churches  with  the  special  presence,  the  searching  eye,  the  limitless 
power,  tlie  ineffable  glory  and  majesty  of  their  own  professed 
Lord  and  Master.  ^Mark  how  this  is  done.  Kot  only  does  John 
describe  this  impressive  manifestation  in  words  of  unrivaled  force, 
and  send  the  description  entire  to  them  all,  but  he  takes  up  and 
distributes  it  in  separate  parts,  applying  them  to  set  forth  that  all- 
glorious  Personage  who  sends  them  their  respective  messages. 
'J'o  E[)hesus:  "These  things  saith  he  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars 
in  his  right  hand,  who  walkcth  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden 

candlesticks  " — as  you  may  see  in  chap.  1 :  12,  13,  20. To  the 

church  of  Smyrna  speaketh  he  "  who  is  the  first  and  the  last,  who 

was  dead  and  is  alive  " — points  which  appear  in  1 :  11,  17,  IS. 

To  Pergamos  thus  saith  he  who  "  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two 
edges,"  as  said  (1  :  IG):  "Out  of  his  mouth  went  a  sharp  two- 
edged  sword." To  Thyatira  speaketh   "  the  Son  of  God  who 

hath  eyes  like  a  flame  of  fire  and  feet  like  fine  brass" — those 
same  words  of  thrilling  power  which  j'ou  may  read  in  1 :  14,  15. 

So  to  Sardis  he  defines  himself  as  "having  the  seven  Spirits 

of  God  and  the  seven  stars"  (1  :  4,  10);  to  Philadelphia,  as  "he 
that  is  holy  and  true,  he  that  hath  the  key  of  David,"  etc.  (see 
1  :  5,  18);  and  to  Loadicea,  as  "  the  Amen,  the  fixithful  and  true 

Witness,  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God"  (1  :  5). Thus  it 

irt  shown  impressively  that  the  same  glorious  Personage  at  whose 
feet  John  fell  as  onl^  dead  was  precisely  the  author  of  these  mes- 


34  INTRODUCTION. 

sagos  to  the  seven  churches.  He  Mrould  have  them  know  whose 
voice  spake  these  words;  ivhose  aya  was  searching  every  heart; 
whose  glorious  presence  was  surely  there,  walking  up  and  down 
among  those  churches. 

In  a  manner  precisely  analogous  to  these  opening  addresses, 
eacli  several  letter  closes  with  a  blessing  promised  to  "  him  that 
overcometh."  In  the  letter  to  Ephesus  (2:  7)  the  promise  is,  "I 
will  give  him  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  Avhich  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
paradise  of  God.''  But  what  "tree  of  life  "  is  this  ?  How  came  it 
to  be  assumed  that  the  brethren  at  Ephesus  would  know  any  thing 
about  this  tree  of  life  if  no  other  part  of  this  book  were  written 
for  them  and  to  them,  save  the  first  seven  verses  of  chap.  2  ?  This 
assumption  must  be  a  mistake;  the  "tree  "  referred  to  is  the  one  de- 
scribed in  chap.  22 :  2,  and  John  intended  the  last  chapter  of  the 
book  for  the  reading  of  the  church  at  Ephesus  as  really  as  the 

lirst  two. So  in  the   letter  to  Sardis  :    "He   that  overcometh 

shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death."  Where  are  they  expected 
to  learn  of  this  "second  death?"  The  answer  is,  in  20:  14  and 
21  :  8,  not  to  speak  of  many  other  passages  in  the  last  four  chap- 
ters.  To  the  victorious  ones  of  Pergamos  the  promise  runs,  "  I 

will  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white 
stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth 
save  he  that  receivelh  it."  liut  these  words  would  quite  fail  of 
expressing  their  full  meaning  unless  the  brethi-en  of  Pergamos 
were  to  read  through  the  whole  book,  and  see  especially  what  is 
said  (19  :  12)  of  the  Great  Conquering  Chief:  "On  his  head  were 
many  crowns,  and  he  had  a  name  written  which  no  man  knew 
but  he-  himself;  "  and  also  the  numerous  allusions  to  the  opposite 
party — the  enemies  of  Jesus — who  "  bore  the  mark  of  the  beast  in 
their  right  hand  and  in  their  forehead,"  as  may  be  seen  (13:  IG, 

17,  and   14:  9,  and  15:  2,  and  16:  2,  and   19:  26). In  like 

manner  the  victor  in  Sardis  shall  be  clothed  in  white  and  his 
name  not  blotted  from  the  book  of  life,  the  glory  of  which  promise 
the  brethren  in  Sardis  were  expected  to  see  when  they  read  the 
thrilling  account  thereof  in  chaps.  19:  7-9,  14,  and  20:  12;  and 

indeed  in  all  these  last  chapters  of  the  book. So  the  promise 

to  the  overcoming  ones  of  Philadelphia  cai-ries  the  mind  to  the 
New  Jerusalem  of  which  they  might  read  in  the  last  two  chap- 
ters.  In  this  remarkable  manner  did  the  voice  of  Jesus,  dic- 
tating to  JhIiu  both  these  seven  letters  to  as  many  churches  and 


INTRODUCTION.  35 

the  iTiuiuning  contents  of  this  book,  tie  all  the  parts  together,  in- 
tcrhicing  thoiu  as  I  have  said,  as  if  he  foresaw  the  violence  that 
in  future  times  would  bo  used  to  tear  them  asunder!  What  more 
could  he  have  done  to  prove  to  us  that  the  whole  book  was  in- 
tended primarily  for  those  seven  churches — every  word  of  it  sent  to 
theux  to  be  read,  pondered,  and  understood  by  themselves,  that  they 
might  receive  its  full  moral  impression,  both  the  full  force  of  all 
its  threatened  judgments  upon  their  persecutors,  and  also  the  full 
force  of  all  its  inspirations  of  hope  and  promise  to  "him  that  over- 

cometh?" A  careful  examination  of  the  whole  book  will  show 

that  all  the  intermediate  chapters  (4-1 S)  are  naturally  adapted  to 
jneet  the  great  moral  wants  of  those  churches ;  had  a  vital  bearing 
toward,  this  end,  to  gird  every  wavering  heart  with  strength  uiito 

patient  endurance  and  unflinching  fidelity  for  Christ. Nothing 

more  seems  necessai*y  to  complete  this  argument  and  bring  it  up 
to  demonstration  save  to  adduce  the  reiterated  declarations  of  the 
book  itself  that  the  events  which  it  predicted  were  then  ''near  at 
hand."  See  1:1:  "  Must  shortly  come  to  pass ;  "  and  1  :  3,  "For 
the  time  is  at  hand ; "  and  22 :  6,  "  To  show  unto  his  servants  the 
things  that  must  shortly  be  done;"  and  22:  10,  "Seal  not  up 
the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  for  the  time  is  at  hand." 
Consequently  the  first  readers  of  this  book  would  know  that  they 
must  look  for  these  predicted  events  (at  least  the  greater  part  of 
them)  very  soon,  within  their  own  age.  Those  fearful  judgments 
on  Christ's  enemies  they  could  not  fail  to  interpret  rightly,  for 
they  were  already  so  near  as  to  "cast  their  shadows  before." 

In  concluding  this  topic  let  me  again  remind  the  reader  of  the 
point  of  my  argument,  viz.:  that  a  book  addressed  to  certain  speci- 
fied churches  then  under  the  sternest  ti-ial,  to  be  read  by  them  for 
their  spiritual  good,  teas  certainly  made  in  the  main  intelligible— 
must  have  been  adapted  to  their  understanding  in  both  the  judgments 
it  threatened  and  the  blessings  it  2^romised.  The  judgments  threat- 
ened were  not  to  them  unmeaning;  the  enemies  threatened  were 
no*  to  them  unhnorvn.  The  blessings  promised  were  to  be  meas- 
ured and  appreciated  in  the  light  of  those  judgments.  In  respect 
to  both  the  judgments  and  the  blessings  we  must  assume  that  they 
had  the  keenest  personal  interest,  and  therefore  this  entire  book 
must  have  thrilled  their  souls  Avitli  its  utmost  measure  of  inspiring 
power. 


36  INTKODUCTION. 

V.  Let  us  consider  vai-ious  indications  in  the  Look  wliicli  loeafo 
its  predicted  events  in  jti/«(?g  or  in  time,  and  thus  become  landmarka 

to  determine  its  interpretation. 1  assume  that  my  readers  will 

appreciate  the  importance  of  studying  this  point  faitlifully  and 
discreetly.  The  visions  proper  of  this  book  are  almost  exclusively 
a  series  of  symbolic  pictures — a  grand  panorama,  painting  scenes 
of  prophetic  import  to  the  eye  in  gorgeous  colors  and  majestic 
outlines.  Now  we  wish  to  know  what  these  pictures  mean.  1 
am  to  inquire  at  this  point  whether  this  writing  gives  us  any 
phiin  nns^'inbolic  hints  as  to  the  place  and  the  time  of  these  future 
events  which  the  visions  pro'phctically  portray.  Has  the  revealing 
Agent  anywhere  dropped,  though  bat  for  a  moment,  bis  symbolic 
speech  and  given  «s  liteiral  unsymbolie  words  which  mean  jusS 
what  they  say— which  were  designed  apparently  to  explahi  the 
symbols  and  locate  the  events,  and  which  therefore  may  be  relieiJ 
on  for  this  purpose? — —We  shall  find  a  fev/ — perhaps  enough  for 
our  parposc.     It  is  our  wisdom  to  use  them  to  the  full  extent  of 

their  legitimate  aid. One  appears  in  11 :  8,  in  which,  speaking 

of  the  place  where  the  two  witnesses  lay  murdered  and  nnburied^ 
the  angel  says^  "  Their  dead  bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of  the 
great  city  which  spiritually  ia  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  alsa 
our  Lord  toas  cnixified."  Beyond  all  rational  doubt,  this  was  de- 
signed to  give  the  literal  and  precise  location  of  that  event.  This 
great  city  in  reference  to  its  spiritual  character  was  a  second 
Sodom  (see  Isa.  I  :  9,  10)  in  the  twofold  sense  of  guilt  and  doom> 
But  dropping  all  figure,  the  place  may  be  known  through  all  the 
ages  as  that  where  the  Lord  was  crucified.  There  never  was  or 
could  be  but  one  city  that  answers  to  this  fact  of  history.  The 
angel  appends  a  literal  statement  to  his  figurative  description  in 

order  to  tell  us  precisely  the  iplace. The  better  reading  of  this 

remarkable  clause  is  not  "o?.-?-"  Lord  but  their  Lord — the  exact 
sense  being,  where  their  Lord  also  as  well  as  themselves  was 

murdered. This  landmark  shows  us  therefore  where  to  look  for 

the  two  witnesses— wAerg  their  testimony  was  given,  and  where 
their  martyred  bodies  fell.  The  fact  stated  in  v.  13,  that  "  one- 
tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,"  locates  these  erents  in  time  to  some 
point  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans,  A.  D. 

70. The  allusions  (II:  2)  to  the  com-t  of  the  temple   and    to 

the  holy  city  as  "  given  up  to  the  Gentiles  to  be  trodden  under 
foot  by  them,"  become  a  very  decisive  landmark  when   we  tak« 


IXTEODL'CTIOX.  37 

into  view  their  connection  with  v.  8  and  v.  13  as  above  ex[)hune(l, 
and  also  the  obviously  parallel  prophecy  recorded  by  Luke  (21  : 
2-1),  "Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles."  This 
chapter  (llev.  11)  treats  therefore  of  Jerusalem — the  persecution 
which  she  brought  upon  Christ's  faithful  witnesses,  and  the  fearful 
doom  which  God  brought  upon  her  for  her  sins.  If  on  a  careful 
examination  of  chaps.  6-9  it  shall  appear  (as  most  critics  have 
thought)  that  chap.  11  gives  us  the  final  catastrophe,  and  those 
chapters  (0-0)  the  antecedent,  foreshadowing  and  premonitory 
notes  of  coming  doom,  then  so  much  of  the  predicted  events  of  this 
book  would  seem  to  be  definitely  located  in  both  ^:>/ac<3  and  time, 
and  of  course,  we  may  add,  in  history.  These  points  must  be 
carefully  examined  when  those  chapters  come  under  consideration. 
Under  our  present  head  chap.  17  ia  specially  important  because 
it  is  declared  to  be  an  explanation  of  the  meaning  of  certain  lead- 
ing symbols  in  chaps.  13-19.  The  writer  says  (v.  1),  "An  angel 
came  and  talked  Avith  me,  saying,  'Come  hither;  I  will  show  thee 
the  judgment  of  the  great  whore  that  sittcth  ujwn  many  waters;'" 
and  yet  mox-e  definitely  (v.  7),  "Why  dost  thou  marvel?  1  Avil! 
tell  thee  the  mysteiy  of  the  woman  and  of  the  beast  that  carrleth 
her,  which  hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns."  These  are  the 
very  things  that  John  wanted  to  know;  which  he  needed  to  tell 
his  original  readers  that  they  might  know;  and  which  w'c  may 
well  rejoice  to  learn,  for  they  give  us  the  clew  to  all  these  related 
chapters  (13-19).  His  explanation  (briefly  stated)  shows  that  the 
woman  is  that  "  great  city  "  of  which  two  descriptive  facts  are 
given:  (a.)  She. " reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth"  (v.  18); 
{b.)  She  sitteth  on  seven  mountains — i.  e.,  is  a  city  built  on  seven 
hills.  All  students  of  Roman  history  will  recognize  the  Rome  of 
that  age  as  this  city,  and  consequently  as  being  in  symbol  this 
woman — the  great  hai-lot.  Xo  other  city  approaches  this  descrip- 
tion. Every  clement  given  fits  her  perfectly;  and  what  is  yet 
more,  they  are  the  great  historic  and  geographic  facts  which  most 
comprehensively  and  precisely  describe  the  Rome  of  that  age. 
She  was  built  on  seven  hills;    she  was  mistress  of  the  civilized 

world,  reigning  over  the  kings  of  the  earth. In  its  place  I  may 

notice  two  other  corroborating  features  of  her  history  : — her  bloody 
persecution  of  the  saints,  and  her  harlotry  (idolatry).  Apart  from 
tliesc  however,  the  woman  is  located — her  name  is  virtually  re- 
vealed.    We  know  who  she  is.     So  much  then  is  solid  ground — a 


38  INTRODUCTION. 

fixed  landmark. But  as  yet  wc  lack  the  historic  dale — the  time 

when.     Will  the  explaining  angel  give  this? Note  what  he  says 

of  the  succession  of  her  kings  (v.  lU) :  "There  are  seven  kings; 
live  are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come;  and  when 
he  cometh  he  must  continue  a  short  space."  Now  if  wc  take  this 
as  an  explanation  of  the  seven  symbolic  heads  of  the  beast  (as  wc 
must),  we  are  shut  up  to  the  literal  and  most  obvious  sense — a  suc- 
cession of  five  kings  already  fallen;  a  sixth  then  reigning;  a  sev- 
enth soon  to  rise,  but  for  only  a  short  reign. Now  having  the 

date  of  the  vision,  we  know  that  the  king  then  reigning  was  Nero. 
Nero  then  is  a  specimen  of  the  seven,  and  we  must  go  back  to  the 
rise  of  his  dynasty  and  begin  our  count  there — i.  c,  with  Julius 
Cassar.  Beginning  with  him,  Nero  is  precisely  the  sixth ;  the  sev- 
enth— a  short  reign  according  to  the  prophecy — was  Galba,  who 
reigned  seven  months.  Here  then  we  have  this  sei'ies  of  prophetic 
events  located  in  place — old  Kome ;  and  in  time — upon  Nero's 
reign.  This  is  another  great  landmark.  No  interpretation  of  this 
book  can  possibly  be  the  true  one  which  disregards  these  land- 
marks and  fails  to  adjust  itself  to  their  demands.  The  points  that 
are  fixed  in  chap.  11  and  in  chap.  17  avail  to  prove  beyond  all 
rational  doubt  that  in  this  book  of  Revelation  we  have  two  great 
persecuting  powers,  depicted,  threatened,  judged  and  destroyed, 
each  repireseuted  by  its  great  city— Jerusalem,  Rome  :  Jerusalem, 
involving  the  Jewish  people  and  Judaism  as  a  persecuting  power; 
Kome,  involving  that  pagan,  idolatrous,  persecuting  power.  Whether 
we  have  other  persecuting  powers  in  this  book  will  be  a  subject  of 
future  inquiry.  These  two  we  certainly  have;  for  these  literal 
statements,  so  obviously  made  for  the  very  purpose  of  explaining 
what  would  otherwise  be  dark,  uncertain  prophetic  symbols,  must 
be  held  to  be  absolutely  decisive.  If  we  can  not  or  will  not  accept 
God's  own  explanations,  it  is  vain  for  us  to  expound,  dreaming 
that  we  have  mastered  the  problems  of  the  book 

VI.  The  sources  of  the  writer's  figurative  imagery,  and  the  bear^ 
ing  of  these  sources  upon  his  use  of  them  in  this  book.  " 

*  It  is  only  toavoitl  oiienivilocution  that  I  speak  of  .Tolin  as  the  writer 
of  tlii.s  book  and  also  as  liiinself  dotcrniining  its  style,  tij^ares  of  speecli, 
etc.,  while  I  hold  most  fully  Miat  the  .Spirit  of  inspiration  spake  many 
of  these  words  to  Jolin  and  showed  him  these  s^'mbols,  either  iu  vi.siou 
or  oy  a  revealing  angel. 

fcjee  a  fuller  note  ou  this  subject,  p.  7. 


IXTllODUCTIOX.  39 

Upon  the  fir.st  point  there  would  seem  to  be  no  room  for  doubt. 
Those  sources  were  tlie  Old  Testament  prophets.  There  John 
i()und  his  symbols  and  ligurcs ;  thence  he  took  them.  The  four 
living  ones  of  chaps.  4-G  [very  improperly  translated  "beasts"] 
are  from  Ezck.  1,  with  some  shadings  from  Isa.  6.  The  books  of 
prophetic  destiny,  both  that  of  chaps.  5  and  6,  with  its  seven  seals 
and  the  "little  book"  of  chapter  10,  are  from  Ezek.  2  and  3,  even 
to  the  special  feature  of  eating  it  and  its  sweetness  in  the  mouth. 
'I'he  diverse  colored  horses  of  Kev.  6  come  from  Zech.  1  and  6. 
Tlie  sealing  of  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  men  in  their 
foreheads  is  from  Ezek.  8  and  9.  The  great  dragon  [serpent]  of 
Kev.  12  was  first  named  in  the  slory  of  the  fall  (Gen.  3).  The 
"beasts"  of  chap.  13  and  onward  have  their  prototypes  in  Dan.  7 
and  8.  1'he  vials  of  chaps.  15  and  16  come  from  the  "cup  of 
(iud's  indignation "  which  appears  so  often  in  the  old  Hebrew 
prophets,  especially  in  Jeremiah.  (See  Jer.  25:  15-28.)  Of  course 
the  Babylon  of  Rev.  18  looks  back  to  that  old  Uabylon  whose  fall 
Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  so  abundantly  predicted.  The  sketching  in 
chap.  18  comes  largely  from  Ezekiel's  picture  of  the  fall  of  Tyre 
(chaps.  26-28). These  cases  may  at  least  serve  as  specimens. 

On  the  question  whether  John  used  these  symbols  in  the  same 
sense  in  which  he  found  them  used  by  the  old  prophets,  the  pre- 
sumption is  strong  that  he  did.  This  would  unquestionably  be  the 
natural  course  of  his  mind.  Any  wide,  violent  divergence  from 
tliis  rule  is  exceedingly  improbable.  In  general  their  sense  where 
.Fohn  found  them  should  be  assumed  to  be  their  sense  as  he  used 
them.  Special  circumstances  may  demand  a  slight  modification, 
but  ordinarily  nothing  more. 

VIL.  It  remains  to  speak  of  the  principles  or  Lavs  which  must 
control  the  interpretation  of  this  hook. 

Need  I  here  solicit  the  reader's  careful  attention?  I  will  only 
premise  that  if  any  certainty  la  ever  to  be  attained  in  respect  to 
tiie  meaning  of  this  book,  it  must  be  reached  by  first  determining 

its  just  principles  of  interpretation. The  following  principles 

and  rules  I  propose  to  follow  myself  T  commend  them  to  the 
srood  sense  of  my  readers  : 

1.  We  must  come  to  this  loolc  to  learn  what  it  teaches;  not  to  malce 
it  (rich  what  we  ivill.  That  is,  we  must  rule  out  of  the  mind  all 
preconceived  theories,  and  bring  to  its  stmly  a  mind  open  to  the 


to  INTKODUCTIOX. 

very  impressions  whicli  the  book  itself,  diligently  studied  in  the 
light  of  all  its  known  circumstances,  shall  legitimately  make. 

2.  We  must  interpret  the  predictions  in  harmony  -with  God's 
own  declarations  as  to  the  time  of  their  fulfillment.  If  God  has 
himself  indicated  whether  this  time  be  near  or  remote,  -why  should 
we  not  accept  his  indications  in  their  obvious  sense,  and  interpret 
accordingly  ?     How  can  we  hope  to  reach  the  truth  if  we  w-ill  not 

receive  God's  own  teaching  and .  guidance  ? Now  the  fact  ia 

that  precisely  in  those  parts  of  the  book  where  we  should  look  for 
these  indications,  we  find  them,  viz.,  at  the  opening  of  the  book,  to 
give  us  the  right  clue  at  the  outset  and  prevent  us  from  being  led 
off  on  some  false  track;  and  again,  yiear  its  close,  to  remind  us 
that  we  must  not  transcend  these  heaven-sent  limitations  in  the 
range  we  may  take  to  find  the  leading  events  therein  predicted. 

The  words  in  which  God  defines  the  time  of  these  predicted 

events  are  these:  "  The  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  which  God  gave 
unto  him  to  show  unto  his  servants  things  which  must  shortly  come 
to  pass"  (1 :  1)  :  "Blessed  is  he  that  readeth  and  they  that  hear 
the  words  of  this  prophecy  .  .  .  for  the  time  is  at  hand"  (1 :  3). 
"  Write  the  things  which  thou  hast  seen  and  the  things  which  are, 
and  the  things  which  shall  be  hereafter  "  (1  :  19) — but  this  "  here- 
after" is  not  the  remote,  indefinite  future,  but  according  to  the 
original  ["meta  tauta"]  the  things  which  follow  closely  after,  in 
the  closest  connection  with  present  events.  The  same  language 
and  in  the  same  sense  appears  (4:  1);  "Come  up  hither"  [into 
this  opened  heaven]  "and  I  will  show  thee  things  that  must  be 
hereafter,"  i.  e.,  in  close  connection  with  the  present;  things  which 
must  be  very  soon.  Such  are  the  declarations  as  to  the  time  of 
fulfillment,  in  the  very  opening  of  these  visions.  Are  they  not  per- 
fectly definite  and  decisive  ? Xear  the  close  we  read  (22 :  6), 

"These  sayings  are  faithful  and  true,  and  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy 
prophets  sent  his  angel  to  show  unto  his  servants  the  things  which 
must  shortly  be  done."  Also  (22 :  10)  "  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book;  for  the  time  is  at  hand."  Daniel  was 
directed  (8:  26,  and  12:  4,  9)  to  "shut  up  the  words"  and  "seal 
the  book"  because  the  events  predicted  lay  somewhat  remotely  in 
the  future,  i.  e.,  they  referred  to  the  age  of  the  Maccabees  and  of 
the  Syrian  wars,  then  three  hundred  and  sixty  years  distant.  "With 
t'.iis  case  John's  prophecies  are  contrasted  and  he  is  told  not  to 
seal  and  shut  up  lils  prophetic  words  because  the  time  of  their 


INTEODUCTIOX.  41 

fulfillment  was  then  near  at  hand. Such  are  the  indications 

kindly  given  by  God  himself  in  regard  to  the  time  of  fulfillment  of 
the  great  facts  revealed  in  this  book.  Inasmuch  as  they  speak  in 
general  of  the  things  predicted  with  no  limitation  to  a/eiw  of  these 
things  or  to  any  defined  'part  of  them,  we  are  manifestly  bound  to 
apply  them  to  the  great  body  of  these  predictions.     This  is  the 

only  method  of  fair  dealing  with  the  divine  words. Yet  let  me 

anticipate  the  examinatura  of  chapters  19-22  so  far  as  to  say  that 
Uiey  seem  obviously  to  refer  to  the  final  triumph  of  the  gospel  in 
our  world;  to  the  scenes  of  the  last  judgment;  and  (probably)  of 
the  future  heavenly  state.  The  laws  of  mental  association  by 
which  these  events  are  linked  with  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
judgments  of  God  upon  Eome  I  shall  have  occasion  to  consider 
I'ully  in  their  place.  They  constitute  a  very  easy  and  natural  ex- 
ception to  the  statements  we  have  been  considering,  which  assume 
that  the  main  events  foretold  in  the  book  were  then  near  at  hand. 
Tliose  main  events  we  shall  see  refer  to  Jerusalem  and  to  Home — 
the  great  persecuting  powers  then  actively  hunting  down  and  mur- 
dering the  saints.  They  constitute  the  staple  facts  of  this  book  of 
prophecy  and  therefore  are  fitly  embraced  in  the  comprehensive 

statement,  ''■  near  at  hayul." 1  am  well  aware  that  many  critics 

have  disposed  of  this  testimony  from  God  himself,  as  to  the  speedy 
fulllllment  of  these  prophecies,  in  a  very  short-hand  way.  One  of 
the  reviewers  of  Prof  Stuart  wrote; — "Nor  would  we  contract 
the  mind  of  God  to  the  narrow  dimensions  of  the  generation  when 
,lohn  wrote."  "  Nor  docs  it  move  us  that  at  the  opening  of  his 
book,  he  says; — 'The  time  is  at  hand.'  He  was  then  judging  from 
God's  point  of  vision,  with  whom  a  thousand  years  are  as  one  day; 

he  was  judging  on   the   scale  of  eternity."* But  if  God  had 

occasion  to  say  certain  things  to  the  churches  of  Asia  of  "  the 
generation  when  John  wrote,"  and  undertook  to  do  it,  who  shall 
forbid  him  ?  AVho  has  any  right  to  insinuate  that  such  messages 
would  dishonorably  belittle  or  contract  the  mind  of  God  ?  And 
when  the  revealing  angel  said — "The  time  is  at  hand,"  how  does 
this  critic  know  that  "  he  was  judging  from  God's  point  of  vision 
with  whom  one  thousand  years  are  as  one  day  ?"  If  he  meant  so, 
why  did  he  not  say  so?  If  he  has  not  said  so,  what  right  has  any 
critic  to  wrest  his  words  from  their  natural  sense  and  put  upon 

*Sc'C-Uiljli(jthccii  Sacra,  April,  1S17  ;  p.  Z»'L 


i2  INTEODUCTION. 

them  a  construction  altogether  his  own  and  in  the  face  of  their 
phiin,  ohvious  meaning?  If  critics  may  use  such  liberties  with 
God's  own  words,  making  his  declarations — "The  time  is  at  hand ;" 
"  shortly  come  to  pass" — mean  the  very  reverse  of  what  they  say, 
what  may  they  not  do  ?  And  how  can  God  reveal  any  thing  to 
us  so  that  we  can  surely  know  what  he  means  ?  If  God  does  not 
use  the  language  of  men  as  men  ordinarily  use  it,  there  is  an  end 
of  all  reliable  interpretation  of  his  words.  If  when  he  says  "day  " 
he  may  mean  a  thousand  years  and  yet  give  us  no  hint  of  any 
other  sense  than  we  give  to  the  word  "  day,"  then  there  is  no  such 

thing  as  a  trustworthy  revelation  from  God  to  man. For  myself 

I  must  take  it  for  granted  that  when  God  introduced  this  book  of 
prophecy  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia,  sa3'ing  that  the  time  of 
fulfilling  its  predicted  events  was  then  near  at  hand,  he  meant 
just  what  he  said — meant  to  have  them  expect  the  great  body  of 
those  events  very  soon  and  be  looking  for  them  in  their  own  times. 
For  if  he  had  meant  precisely  this,  he  could  not  have  said  it  in  any 
other  words  more  direct  and  plain  than  these. 

Many  critics  have  said — This  book  gives  a  prophetic  series  of 
historic  events,  running  on  two  thousand  years  or  more,  and 
that  when  God  said,  "  These  things  must  come  to  pass  shortly," 
he  meant  only  that  the  scries  would  bcgm  shortly,  while  the  great 
mass  of  its  events  would  lie  far  down  in  the  future  centuries.  But 
this  seems  to  me  to  be,  not  accepting  God's  words  at  their  obvious 
value,  but  forcing  a  sense  upon  them  to  suit  the  exigencies  of  the 
critic's  own  theory.  If  God  had  really  meant  what  these  critics 
claim,  why  did  he  not  say  it  ?  Could  he  possibly  suppose  that 
the  words  he  did  use  would  be  understood  by  the  seven  churches 
as  these  critics  interpret  them  ?  And  did  he  use  words  which  he 
knew  would  convey  a  sense  quite  different  from  the  truth  ? 

3.  We  are  bound  to  interpret  this  book  in  harmony  ivith  Gods 

own  interpretation  of  its  symbols. Such  pi'ofessed  explanations 

are  much  less  numerous  and  full  in  this  book  of  prophecy  than  in 

Daniel.  Let  us  the  more  carefully  use  what  we  have. The  greater 

part  of  chap.  17,  is  such  explanation.     It  shows  us  definitely  who 

is  meant  by  "  the  woman,"  "  the  great  harlot." The  seven  heads 

of  the  beast  are  explained  to  have  a  twofold  reference;  (1.)  To 
"the  seven  mountains  on  which  the  woman  sitteth  ;"  (2.)  To  the 
eevcn  kings  who  reigned  in  succession,  the  sixth  being  then  on 
the  throne.     This  is  not  the  place  to  expound  in  full  the  points 


INTEODUCTIOX.  43 

njiule  in  this  chapter.  Suffice  it  to  say  tliat  as  humble  pupils  of 
Ipi-ophecy,  sitting  at  the  feet  of  our  (Jreat  Teacher,  -we  shall  surely 
seize  with  promptness  and  ponder  with  dilii:;ence  whatever  ex- 
planations he  may  be  pleased  to  give  us  of  the  meaning  of  his 
own  symbols.  Such  explanations  should  be  permitted  to  throw 
their  influence  over  all  other  points,  not  explained,  which  arc  of 
the  same  general  character.  The  whole  prophecy  to  which  the 
woman  and  the  seaven-headcd  beast  belong  must  surely  be  inter- 
preted in  harmony  with  God's  explanation  of  these  leading  char- 
acters and  agents  therein. 

4.  We  must  interpret  in  harmony  lulth  whatever  allusions  the  look 
contains  to  known  historic  events  and  localities.  We  have  such  allu- 
sions in  chaps.  11  and  17. In  chap.  11  :  1,  2,  we  have  the  tem- 

I)lo,  the  altar,  the  outer  court,  and  the  giving  of  it  up  to  the  Gentiles 
to  be  trodden  under  foot  of  them;  and  in  v.  8  we  have  another  most 
specific  and  unrjucstionable  reference  to  Jerusalem — the  very  place 
"  where  the  Lord  was  crucified,"  and  where  his  two  witnesses  fell 
and  lay  unburied;  and  in  v.  13  it  is  said  that  "in  the  same  hour 
there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and  a  tenth  part  of  the  city  (this 
same  Jerusalem)  fell,"  etc.  Now  here  arc  various  allusions  to 
historic  places  and  objects  with  which  John's  readers  were  some- 
what acquainted  and  with  which  we  are  familiar.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  how  they  would  understand  these  words.  Of  all  the  men 
who  were  ever  to  read  this  book,  they  were  best  situated  to  under- 
stand it.  The  sense  most  obvious  to  them  is  doubtless  the  true 
one.  It  would  be  only  a  great  folly  therefore  for  us  to  ignore  such 
historic  references,  and  make  up  an  interpretation  of  this  eleventh 
chapter  and  of  the  stupendous  events  whicli  reach  their  consum- 
mation here,  just  as  if  the  prophet  had  given  us  in  these  allusions 
no  clew  to  his  meaning.  It  would  be  unpardonable  to  fritter  away 
tlie  meaning  of  these  allusions  and  rob  ourselves  of  their  aid  by 
forcing  upon  them  a  fanciful  meaning.  They  are  plainly  literal 
expressions  thrown  into  the  midst  of  a  delineation  which  is  mostly 
figurative  and  symbolic ;  and  therefore  we  may  assume  that  they 
were  intended  to  be  landmarks  to  guide  the  reader  through  the 
entire  series  of  symbols  which  culminate  here.  They  put  tlicir 
prophetic  finger  on  Jerusalem  as  the  doomed  city;  on  its  corrujit 
Judaism,  its  apostate  priests  and  people,  as  the  sworn  and  loTig 
time  maddened  enemies  of  Christ  and  of  his  true  Zion — now  about 
to  be  overwhelmed  under  the  bolts  of  Jehovah's  thunder. Ju 


i4  INTKODUCTION. 

like  manner  the  angel-intcrprctcr  appcfirs  in  chap.  17,  avowedly 
to  "show  the  judgment  of  the  great  harlot"  (v.  1),  and  "to  tell 
the  mystery  of  the  woman  and  of  the  beast  that  carricth  her, 
which  hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns"  (v.  7).  This  woman 
and  this  beast  are  the  prominent  personages  throughout  chaps. 
13-18.  Here  the  revealing  angel  comes  to  identify  the  city  of  old 
liome  as  represented  by  this  woman,  and  the  seven  kings  that 
successively  filled  her  throne  as  the  seven  heads  of  the  "beast 
that  carried  hei*."  When  he  gives  plain  explanations  of  the  great 
prophetic  symbols  of  the  book,  saying,  "  The  woman  whom  thou 
sawest  is  the  great  city,"  etc.,  and  "  The  seven  heads  are  seven 
mountains  on  which  the  woman  sitteth,"  and  also  "  the  seven 
kings,  of  whom  five  are  fallen,"  etc.,  why  shall  we  not  hail  this 
explanation  with  joy  and  thankfulness,  accepting  it  as  indeed  a 
light  shining  in  an  otherwise  dark  place,  and  a  landmark  to  guide 
our  otherwise  dubious  way  ?  On  Avhat  ground  can-  we  expect  to 
reach  the  true  sense  of  this  book  if  we  thrust  away  the  heaven- 
sent teacher  who  comes  "  to  tell  us  the  mystery "  of  these  sym- 
bols ? 

5.  We  must  interpret  in  harmony  with  whatever  indications  the 
book  itself  may  give  us  showing  that  Christians  then  living  were 
to  be  the  persecuted  men  of  whom  these  visions  speak  and  whose 
martyrdom  they  assume ;  and  that  their  own  persecutors  were  the 
men  about  to  be  visited  with  desolating  judgments.  Such  indica- 
tions appear  in  the  account  given  of  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal 
(G  :  9-11) :  "When  he  had  opened  the  fifth  seal  I  saw  under  the 
altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God  and 
for  the  testimony  which  they  held;  and  they  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not 
judge  and  avenge  our  blood  07i  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth?" 
"Dwell  on  the  earth,"  be  it  noticed,  testifies  that  those  persecu- 
tors were  then  alive — then,  at  the  time  of  the  vision  and  of  this 
prayer — pursuing  their  diabolic  mission,  for  the  prayer  of  the 
fallen  martyrs  cries,  "How  long,  O  Lord,  wilt  thou  not  avenge 
our  blood  on  them,"  and  put  an  end  to  their  murder  of  our  sur- 
viving brethren? The  record  proceeds  to  say,    "And   white 

robes  were  given  to  every  one  of  them,  and  it  was  said  to  them 
that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow- 
servaiits  also  and  their  brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as  they  had 
been,  should  be  fulfilled."     The  white  robes,  significant  of  ultimate 


INTIIODUCTION.  45 

victory  to  their  cause,  were  for  their  comfort  and  consohition,  yet 
tliey  must  needs  be  told  that  more  of  their  brethren  were  yet  to 
fall  martyrs  for  a  season  longer;  then  the  vials  of  God's  ■wrath 
would  be  poured  out  on  those  guilty  murderers.  To  see  this  ar- 
gument iu  its  proper  strength,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
sense  most  obvious  and  natural  to  the  first  readers  of  the  book  is 
the  true  one ;  tiiat  althougli  modern  critics  may  overlook  or  ignore 
the  explicit  declarations  with  which  the  book  opens — "  things  that 
must  shortly  come  to  pass;"  "the  time  is  at  hand;"  or  (4:  1) 
"things  which  must  be"  [immediately]  "hereafter;"  it  is  simply 
impossible  that  John's  first  readers  could  forget  or  overlook  these 
statements,  for  they  served  to  make  these  pi'ophecies  matters  of 
immediate,  personal  and  most  vital  interest.  Consequently  those 
first  readers  must  have  made  the  present  tense  -of  this  vision 
["that  dwell  on  the  earth"]  their  own  present  time — now  dwelling 
on  the  earth  while  we  are  reading  this  book — and  would  apply 
\\hat  is  said  of  the  persecutors  to  the  very  men  who  had  just  been 
murdering  their  own  brethren — e.  g.,  Antipas  of  Pergamos,  "slain 
among  you"  (2  :  13).  Hence  my  argument  is  that,  this  being  the 
construction  which  they  must  needs  give  to  these  words,  it  is  the 
true  one  and  we  must  adopt  it.  Therefore  to  apply  these  words 
in  their  primary  and  proper  sense  to  the  Waldenses  and  Albi- 
genses  of  the  middle  ages  seems  to  me  like  mere  dreaming — or 
rather  like  steering  one's  ship  in  mid-ocean  by  defacing  the  log- 
book, throwing  overboard  the  compass,  and  blotting  out  the  stars ! 
6.  If  the  prophetic  symbols  indicate  fearful  judgments  on  some 
great  persecuting  power  without  naming  or  particularly  describing 
this  power,  we  arc  bound  to  assume  that  such  naming  and  de- 
scription are  omitted  because  John's  first  readers  would  know 
without  its  name  what  power  was  meant.  This  rule  rests  on  the 
simide  principle  that  every  sensible  man  writes  so  as  to  be  under- 
stood by  those  whom  he  addresses.  Of  course  he  writes  for  an 
object.  John  wrote  for  a  great  moral  object;  wrote  to  do  good  to 
the  jhurches  of  Asia.  Therefore  he  wrote  in  such  a  way  that 
tliey  could  readily  understand  of  whom  he  spoke.  If  he  omitted 
to  :iame  the  wicked  men  then  about  to  be  judged  and  destroyed 
f):  their  violence  against  Christ's  people,  it  was  because  he  saw 
that  his  readers  would  know  without  his  naming  them.  In  this 
ca.sc  they  could  not  fail  to  assume  that  those  persecutors  were  the 
men   under  Avhoin  tlicir  own  brethren  were  dying;  the  martyrs 


40  INTKODUCTION. 

alluded  to  were  of  themselves. The  reader  will  notice  the  re- 
markable fact  that  the  successive  seals  (chaps.  6  and  8)  and  the 
successive  trumpets  also  (chap.  9)  reveal  plagues,  yet  without 
definitely  naming  the  parties  on  whom  those  plagues  were  to  fall. 
Except  the  intimations  given  (6  :  9-11)  in  the  cry  of  the  martyred 
souls  seen  under  the  altar,  and  in  the  nationality  of  the  sealed 
ones  (chap.  7),  we  have  nothing  thus  far  in  the  book  to  define  the 
doomed  nation  or  people.  Chap.  11  does  give  us  some  definite 
localities,  and  also  some  landmarks  as  to  time.  But  through  sev- 
eral chapters  we  fail  to  find  such  indications.  The  rule  now 
under  consideration  requires  us  to  find  the  persecuting  power.*! 
here  foredoomed,  within  the  immediate  knowledge  and  experience 
of  the  churches  of  Asia — so  near  that  they  could  not  think  of  any 
other.  This  view  is  abundantly  sustained  and  verified  by  the 
prayer  of  the  mai'tyrs  and  its  answer  at  the  opening  of  the  fifth 
seal,  and  also  in  chap.  11  as  j'ou  approach  the  final  catastrophe. 

7.  We  must  interpret  in  harmony  with  the  obvious  moral  pur- 
pose of  the  book.  What  this  moral  purpose  was  the  book  itself 
abundantly  shows.  It  went  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia;  its 
mission  was  to  arm  them  against  the  temptations  incident  to 
deadly  persecution;  to  fire  their  souls  Avith  love  to  Christ,  with 
zeal  for  his  cause,  with  the  spirit  of  patient  endurance  even  unto 
torture  and  death.  To  efl'ect  such  results  the  writer  brings  the 
glories  of  the  risen  Savior  impressively  near ;  he  sets  before  them 
the  bliss  of  heaven  and  the  sympathy  felt  in  their  case  by  the 
myriads  around  the  throne ;  he  testifies  to  them  most  tenderly 
that  God  sees  their  tears,  notes  their  .agonj^j  will  surely  render 
vengeance  to  their  persecutors,  joy  and  peace  to  their  martyred 
brethren,  and  everlasting  victory  to  his  Zion.  All  these  points 
came  home  to  their  hearts  with  most  thrilling  power,  because  the 
scenes  of  agonizing  fear  and  horrible  persecution  ivere  so  very 
near;  because  the  sufi"erers  were  their  own  fathers,  mothers, 
brothers,  sisters,  sons,  and  daughters.  "Antipas  my  faithful  mar- 
tyr was  slain  among  you"  (2  :  13). Every  thing  in  this  book  in- 
dicates not  only  an  intense  moral  purpose,  but  a  most  direct  one, 
bearing  upon  the  very  churches  then  immediately  addressed.  Wo 
must  therefore  interpret  accordingly.  We  should  do  great  vio- 
lence to  the  whole  book  if  we  were  to  construe  it  to  refer  jjrimarily 
to  events  far  away  in  the  remote  future  from  those  seven  churches 
— events  of  which  they  could  possibly  have  no  conception,  and  to 


INTP.ODUCTIOX.  47 

wliicli  they  could  not  apply  these  predictions.  "When  the  book  ig 
interpreted  as  a  lii-story  of  the  European  kingdoms,  which  grew 
out  of  the  disintegrated  Kouian  Empire,  continued  down  to  our 
own  day,  and  of  the  Kouian  Catholic  church  in  the  great  outlines 
of  its  history  through  all  time,  I  must  insist  that  such  interpre- 
tation is  violently  against  the  obvious  moral  purpose  of  the  book. 
Its  first  readers  could  not  possibly  take  this  view  of  its  meaning, 
therefore  this  view  of  its  meaning  can  not  be  the  true  one.  For 
sensible  writers,  Avriting  for  a  present  object,  must  be  presumed 
to  write  so  as  to  be  readily  understood  by  the  average  minds  of 
their  readers.  They  never  write  for  a  great  moral  purpose  in  the 
case  of  their  first  readers,  and  yet  write  so  that  not  a  man  of  them 
can  possibly  understand  to  what  they  refer.  To  write  in  a  man- 
ner so  utterly  beyond  their  comprehension  would  inevitably  de- 
feat their  moral  olyect.  Prophecy  can  by  no  means'  be  exempted 
from  this  rule.  Certainly  and  especially  it  can  not,  provided  it  ap- 
pears that  it  was  written  and  sent  to  particular  churches  for  an 
obvious  moral  purpose.  Such  undeniably  is  the  case  of  this  book. 
A  broader  view  of  the  analogy  of  scripture  prophecy  on  this 
point  will  be  useful  here.  In  the  Old  Testament  age,  Babylon, 
Edom,  Moab,  Philistia,  etc.,  were  hostile  powers,  corresponding  to 
apostate  Judaism  and  Koman  Paganism  in  the  age  of  this  book. 
All  these  powers  became  subjects  of  prophecy.  Those  of  the  Old 
Testament  age  stand  before  us  undeniably  fulfilled  and  easily  in- 
terpreted; and  thcrefoi'e  give  us  priceless  illustrations  of  the 
method  of  such  prophecy — the  manner  of  giving  it — in  other  words, 

the  important  laws  of  prophetic  interpretation. The  attentive 

reader  of  this  class  of  Old  Testament  prophecies  will  soon  satisfy 
himself  as  to  these  vital  points  : — (1.)  That  they  were  written  for  a 
tlien  present  moral  purpose,  viz.,  to  as.sure  the  covenant  people 
tliat  Jehovah  was  on  their  side,  and  that,  being  King  of  nations, 
he  could  and  would  break  down  their  foes,  and  visit  just  retribu- 
tion upon  them  ; — (2.)  Consequently,  having  a  present  moral  pur- 
pose to  serve,  they  were  made  easily  intelligible ;  were  designed, 
not  to  hide,  but  to  reveal  the  coming  destiny  of  those  hostile  pow- 
(>rs,  and  that  they  were  in  fact,  so  far  as  we  can  learn,  understood 
by  the  prophets  and  by  their  first  hearers  and  readers; — (3.)  That 
the  events  predicted,  like  those  revealed  through  John  to  the  seven 
cliurches,  were  near  at  hand  and  did  shortly  come  to  ]iass.  The 
prophecies  of  Jeremiah  against  Uabylon  (chaps.  50  and  51)  had 


48  IXXriODUCTIOX. 

but  few  j'cars  at  most  to  wait  fur  their  fiillillmcnt.  Tlie  moral  ef- 
fect sought  was  to  be  realized  upon  that  generation — the  very  men 
Avho  first  received  the  prophecy  from  his  lips  or  pen.  And  this 
was  the  model  and  type  of  the  Babylon  of  the  Apocalypse.  So  the 
Lord's  word  by  Jeremiah  against  the  Philistines  (chap.  47)  was 
fulfilled  by  a  Pharaoh  then  living  and  by  Nebuchadnezzar  then  on 
his  throne,  and  of  course  -with  no  considerable  delay.  Of  Moab 
Isaiah  (16  :  14)  said  :  "  Within  three  years,  as  the  years  of  a  hire- 
ling, and  the  glory  of  Moab  shall  be  contemned."  Also  of  Ephraim 
(Isa.  7:  8)   he    said:    "Within   threescore   and  five  years   shall 

Ephraim  be  broken  that  it  be  not  a  people." Thus  it  appears 

that  this  style  of  ancient  prophecy  had  a  then  present  mission 
and  straightway  performed  it;  was  consequently  made  plain; 
was  in  fact  understood  by  all  readers  and  hearers  of  average 
intelligence ;  and  fulfilled  its  mission  in  the  moral  benefit  of 
that  generation  which  first  received  it.  So  Christ's  prediction  to 
his  disciples  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  had  a  present  mis- 
sion for  the   men  of  that  generation  and  fulfilled   it. In  the 

nature  of  the  case  the  projihecies  respecting  the  promised  Mes- 
siah had  a  long  time  to  run.  But  as  to  the  points  now  under 
consideration,  those  prophecies  are  not  analogous  and  should  be 
left  out  of  the  account.  All  the  prophecies  of  the  Bible  that  are 
analogous  concur  to  establish  these  principles  beyond  dispute,  and 
therefore  must  legitimately  be  accepted  and  applied  in  our  inter- 
pretation of  the  Apocalypse. 

8.  Symbols  borrowed  from  the  Old  Testament  should  obviously 
be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  their  usage  there.  A  general  cor- 
respondence of  the  meaning  here  to  the  meaning  there  should  be 
assumed — a  proximate  at  least,  though  not  perhaps  in  every  case  a 
precise  similarity.  It  being  certain  that  the  author  had  in  hand 
the  Old  Testament  scriptures,  but  not  certain  that  he  had  any 
other  book;  certain,  moreover,  that  he  had  read  those  prophets 
carefully,  intensely,  with  the  deepest  love  of  his  heart — that  Ik? 
had  made  himself  familiar  with  their  imagery  and  symbols  as  weli 
as  with  their  thoughts;  it  follows  that  his  own  symbols  when  dis- 
tinctly traceable  to  those  old  prophets  should  be  construed  in  his 
book  mainly  as  they  are  in  those  original  sources.  This  rule  ap- 
plies to  the  seals,  the  trumpets,  the  vials ;  to  the  horses  seen  in 
vision ;  to  the  locusts ;  to  Babylon,  and  not  least,  to  the  usage  of 
the  words  "abomination,"  "harlot,"   etc.,  in  reference  to  idolatry 


INTRODUCTION.  49 

?.  While  these  principles  of  interpretation  sulEce  to  prove  that 
the  great  body  of  the  book  refers  to  events  tJicn  ne^r  at  hand, 
the  well-known  usage  of  prophecy  will  permit  tlie  minds  of  both 
prophet  and  reader  to  pass  over  by  analogy  from  these  events  to 
others  of  like  genci-al  character  far  in  the  future — these  future 
events  being  reached,  not  through  a  continuous  series  of  history, 
filling  up  the  whole  interval,  but  under  the  law  of  analogy  by 
which  one  scries  of  events  suggests  another  of  like  general  dia- 
meter, resting  on  the  same  broad  principles  of  God's  government. 
Thus  in  Christ's  prophetic  discourse  (Mat.  24  and  25)  his  primary 
reference  is  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  tlie  Komans  (A.  D. 
7U).  Yet  he  also  passes  over  from  this  event  to  the  analogous 
one — the  final  judgment  scene.  But  he  does  not  reach  the  final 
judgment  by  filling  up  all  the  interval  between  the  first  event  and 
the  seeond  with  a  continuous  prophetic  history  of  the  events  in- 
tervening. Some  commentators  have  interpreted  Mat.  24  and  2.> 
in  this  way,  but,  in  my  view,  without  the  least  reason.  The  tran- 
sition from  the  first  event  to  the  second  is  made  by  the  law  of 
analog}'.  The  same  law  obtains  abundantly  in  the  old  prophets, 
c.  g.,  Isaiah,  passing  from  the  fall  of  Sennacherib's  host,  compared 
to  the  fall  of  the  glory  of  Lebanon  before  an  archangel's  scythe 
(chap.  10  and  11)  to  the  springing  up  of  the  fresh  shoot  of  David 

from  the  stump  of  a  cut-down  tree. Accepting  this  principle  of 

interpretation,  we  naturally  expect  the  mind  of  both  prophet  and 
reader  to  be  borne  onward  from  the  fall  of  persecuting  Judaism 
and  Paganism  to  tlie  fall  of  every  foe  hostile  to  Christ,  and  to  the 
final  triumph  of  the  Great  Conqueror,  as  we  have  it  in  Rev.  11,  and 

also  Kev.  10  and  20.-: The  main  argument  for  spreading  out  the 

visions  of  this  book  into  a  compend  of  universal  history  has  been 
that  because  the  series  lands  us  at  last  in  the  Millennium,  there- 
lore  it  must  take  us  over  and  througli  all  the  intermediate  stages 
of  human  history.  It  might  for  the  same  reason  be  demanded 
tliat  we  spread  out  the  prophecy  by  Christ  in  Mat.  24  and  25,  by 
violent  and  fanciful  applications  thereof  till  we  make  it  fill  up  the 
entire  interval  between  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  and  the  final  judg- 
ment.    Such  methods  of  interpretation  ignore  the  whole  genius  of 

Old  Testament  prophecy. 1  am  well  aware  that  many  assume 

this  one  book  of  the  Bible,  the  last  (as  they  say)  of  them  all,  to 
have  been  written,  not  like  the  rest  of  the  Bible  primarily  for  the 
goneri^tions  then  living  and  near,  but  primarily  and  with  special 
3 


50  INTRODUCTION. 

design  for  the  far  distant  ages — for  ourselves  and  the  generations 
yet  to  come.  They  admit,  as  all  sensible  men  must,  that  David 
wrote  his  psalms  for  then  present  use  and  adapted  them  accord- 
ingly ;  that  Isaiah  had  his  eye  primarily  upon  his  own  generation 
in  the  adaptation  of  his  prophecies,  and  so  also  Jeremiah,  Ezekicl 
and  all  the  rest.  The  internal  evidence  of  a  special  mission  to 
their  own  people  and  of  a  special  adaptation  to  their  case  is  com- 
pletely decisive.  So  of  the  gospel  history;  so  of  all  the  epistles. 
But  this  book  of  Kevelation  they  insist  must  be  made  an  ex- 
ception to  this  otherwise  universal  law.  One  book  at  least  among 
so  many  the  Lord  could  certainly  afford  to  give  to  us  of  these 
latter  days  by  special  address  and  special  adaptation,  so  that  we 
may  claim  it  as  meant  for  us  in  the  same  definite  sense  in  which 
the  Jews  of  the  captivity  might  claim  Ezekiel's  messages  as  theirs. 

Now  this  may  be  a  very  pretty  fancy ;  but  I  must  be  plain 

enough  to  say — it  can  be  nothing  more.  For,  the  proofs  of  special 
address,  special  design,  special  adaptation  to  the  seven  churches 
of  Asia,  are  fully  as  strong  and  decisive  in  this  book  as  like  proofs 
are  in  Ezekiel,  Jeremiah,  llaggai,  or  Zechariah.  Nor  have  we 
the  least  reason  to  feel  that  we  are  deprived  of  a  right  or  robbed 
of  a  treasure  when  this  book  is  put  on  the  same  footing  with  all 
other  books  of  the  Bible  in  respect  to  original  address  and  adapta- 
tion ;  for  we  may  still  use  it  precisely  as  we  use  all  the  rest  of  the 
Bible,  i.  e.,  first,  get  its  exact  meaning  as  written  and  adapted  to 
its  first  readers  for  its  special  purposes;  and  then  apply  it  aU  to 
ourselves  as  so  much  general  truth  good  for  us  according  to  our 
circumstances.  Knowing  the  case  of  its  first  readers  we  get  a  far 
more  definite,  precise,  life-like  sense  of  its  meaning,  and  therefoi'e 
have  so  much  more  actual  truth  to  apply  with  the  utmost  precision 
to  our  own  case.  But  a  book  specially  addressed  and  adapted  to  the 
indefinite  ages  could  never  be  soundly  and  safely  interpreted ;  for 
who  could  know  the  circumstances  of  the  parties  addressed  ?  Who 
could  make  any  use  of  the  landmarks  of  interpretation  which  a 
book  of  prophecy  must  needs  have,  or  of  necessity  remain  unin- 
telligible ?  The  endless  variety  of  fanciful  interpretations  under 
which  this  book  has  suffered  above  all  other  books  of  the  Bible  ia 
due  largely  and  by  necessity  to  this  grand  mistake  in  the  very 

conception  of  its  original  design. Yet  again,  it  will  seem  to 

many  that  the  glory  of  this  book  is  departed  if  the  events  which 
it  definitely  predicts  are  narrowed  down  to  the  doom  of  apostate 


INTRODUCTION.  51 

.Torusalcm  and  of  Patran  Koine  as  great  porsccutinsi;  powers,  and 
we  fail  to  find  in  it  the  great  outlines  of  the  world's  history  since 
the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era,  and  especially  if  we  fail  to 
find  here  the  Pope  and  the  system  he  represents.  There  lies 
hefore  me  "A  New  Interpretation  of  the  Apocalypse,"  brought 
out  in  1827,  by  Ivcv.  George  Crolcy,  to  which  I  refer  as  a  sample 
— a  work  brilliantly  written  and  eminently  popular.  He  says 
(p.  2,  3),  "  It  will  be  shown  in  the  course  of  the  Interpretation 
lliat  this  prophecy  includes  m  the  most  direct  manner  all  those 
great  events  which  make  the  framework  of  history  since  the  first 
age  of  Christianity ;  that  it  distinctly  predicts  the  establishment 
of  the  church  under  Constantino  and  his  successors"  [etc.  on 
through  the  early,  the  middle,  and  the  post-middle  ages],  "the 
destruction  of  the  Spanish  Armada;  the  civil  wars  following  the 
overthrow  of  Protestantism  in  France  in  1GS5 ;  the  wars  of  Louis 
XIV.;  the  French  revolution  not  uarroAved  down  to  a  few  con- 
jectural verses  as  is  usual,  but  detailed  in  an  entire  and  unsus- 
pected chapter  with  its  peculiar  character  of  Atheism  and  anarch}^, 
its  subsequent  despotism,  and  its  final  overthrow  by  the  armies 
of  Europe."     Then  quite   a  respectable  portion  remains  for  the 

ages  to  come,  the  events  being  yet  future. Now  a  prophecy  so 

admirably  flexible  that  ingenious  men  can  find  in  it  all  the  inter- 
esting events  of  their  own  times  and  of  times  yet  fresh  in  the  past 
— indeed,  all  the  salient  points  in  the  world's  great  history  since 
A.  D.  lUO,  must  be  very  attractive  to  an  ingenious  commentatoi*, 

and  very  amusing,  no  doubt,  to  many  readers. Moreover,  apart 

from  this  exercise  of  human  ingenuity,  there  is  a  special  religious 
interest  felt  by  many  Protestants  in  finding  here  Pomanism  in  the 
three-fold  aspect, — its  spiritual  abominations,  its  bloody  persecu- 
tions, and  its  destiny  of  fiery  doom.     It  seems  to  some  of  them 

that  this  is  God's   battle-ax   made  ready  to  their  hand. Now 

to  all  who  may  be  of  this  mind  I  wish  to  say  very  plainly  that  I 
have  not  the  least  repugnance  to  seeing  the  Pope  and  Komanisra 
in  this  prophecy  provided  only  that  God  has  put  them  here.  But  I 
have  an  invincible  repugnance  to  viaking  prophecy  myself — to 
bringing  into  this  book  by  forced  or  fanciful  interpretation  any 
thing  which  God  has  not  put  here.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
the  book  closes  with  some  very  monitory  words  against  "  adding 
to  the  things"  herein  written.  It  is  a  solemn  undertaking  to 
make  a  comment  on  the  words  of  God.     With  some  sense  of  the 


52  INTEODUCTION. 

inexpressible  solemnity  of  this  work  1  am  holden  most  sacredly  to 
follow  the  landmarks  set  up  by  God's  own  finger.  No  attractions 
toward  this  resulting  sense  or  that — no  desire  to  find  or  not  to 
find  Papal  Rome  here — can  be  allowed  to  move  my  pen  a  hair's 

breadth. According  to  my  reading  of  scriptural  prophecy  God 

has  certain  modes  of  presenting  it — follows  certain  principles  in 
revealing  it — gives  certain  indications  ("  landmarks  "  I  have  called 
them)  which  were  manifestly  designed  to  guide  us  to  their  true 
meaning  and  application.  All  these,  I  propose  to  myself  and 
suggest  to  my  readers,  should  be  canvassed  with  untiring  diligence 
and  applied  with  our  utmost  coolness  of  judgment,  with  unbiased 
heart  and  unclouded  eye,  and  above  all,  with  unceasing  prayer  to 
the  Great  Father  of  light  to  guide  us  into  all  his  blessed  truth  for 
the  good  of  his  Zion  and  the  glory  of  his  name. 


THE   REVELATION 

OF  ST.  JOHN  THE  DIVINE. 


CHAPTER  I, 


The  Look  opens  with  the  source  and  the  channels  from  which 
this  rcvchition  comes  (vs.  1,  2);  the  blessing  promised  to  the 
readers  and  the  hearers  (v.  3)  ;  the  address  proper  of  the  book, 
coui)led  with  the  apostolic  benediction  (vs.  4,  5),  and  ascriptions 
of  glory  to  Jesus  (vs.  5,  6);  the  announcement  of  his  glorious 
coming  (vs.  7,  8).  Then  the  writer  speaks  of  himself  and  his  cir- 
cumstances (v.  0);  is  enjoined  to  write  what  he  sees  and  send  it 
to  the  seven  churches  (vs.  10,  11);  and  then  describes  at  length 
tlie  majestic  appearance  of  the  Son  of  Man  (vs.  12-10),  and  the 
further  instructions  embraced  in  his  prophetic  commission  (vs. 
17-20). 

1.  The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto 
him,  to  show  unto  his  servants  things  which  nni.st  shortly 
come  to  pass:  and  he  sent  and  signified  it  by  his  angel  unto 
his  servant  John : 

This  revelation  is  here  said  to  have  been  made  by  God  to  Jesus 
Christ,  implying  that  in  their  mutual  relations  to  each  other  in  the 
sclieme  of  redemption,  the  Father  is  supreme,  the  Son  subordinate; 
and  reminding  us  of  those  extraordinary  words  of  Jesus  as  given 
by  JIark  (13:  32):    "Of  tiiat  day  and  hour  knowetli  no  man,  no, 

nut  the  angels  in  heaven,  neither  the  iSon,  but  the  Father." 

"Things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass,"  must  be  said  in  gen- 
eral of  the  contents  of  this  entire  book,  and  not,  as  some  have  sup- 
posed, of  the  first  three  chapters  only.  "Shortly"  can  have  no 
sthur  and  no  less  meaning   than   ver)/  soon.     This   sense   of  the 

(53) 


y4  EEVELATlON.-CnAP.  I. 

oriii;ihal  (ircck  words  is  absolute  and  decisive.  It  is  only  serious 
trilling  with  God's  words  to  say  that  ^^ shortly"  may  mean  a  thou- 
sand years  distant,  or  two  and  three  thousand,  according  as  the 
exigencies  of  some  preconceived  scheme  of  interpretation  may 
require.  Why  should  not  God  be  permitted  to  be  his  own  inter- 
preter and  give  his  own  views  in  regard  to  the  time  of  the  events 
here  foretold?  The  rule  of  foir  common  sense  must  be,  that  what- 
ever God  may  say  in  explanation  of  his  own  propliecies — e.  g.,  as 
to  the  time  of  their  fulfillment,  must  be  taken  in  its  plain  and  most 

obvious  sense.     Else  how  does  it  explain  any  thing? Angels 

were  largely  employed  in  making  these  revelations  to  John,  and 
made  them  chiefly  (as  the  word  ^^ signify"  indicates)  by  the  use 
of  signs,  symbols. 

2.  Who  bare  record  of  the  word  of  God,  and  of  the  tes- 
timony of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  all  things  that  he  saw. 

The  main  question  here  is,  whether  the  thing  said  of  John,  that 
he  "  bare  record  of  the  Avord  of  God,  and  of  the  testimony  of  Christ," 
is  historic,  describing  him  as  having  long  been  an  apostle  and  wit- 
ness for  Christ,  or  whether  it  should  be  restricted  to  his  function 
as  a  witness  to  certify  faidifully  the  things  revealed  to  him  in 
Patmos.  The  latter  is  most  in  the  line  of  thought  in  the  context; 
Jesus  revealed  these  things  by  his  angel  to  his  servant  John ;  and 
John  faithfully  reported  every  thing  shown  him,  for  the  benefit  of 

the  churches. The  last  clause  should  be  read  without  the  word 

"and,"  which  the  best  authorities  rule  out  of  the  Greek  text — the 
sense  then  being,  "whatsoever  things  he  saw;"  i.  e.,  so  far  forth 
as  revelations  were  made  to  him,  he  wrote  them. 

3.  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  the 
\vords  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are 
written  therein  :  for  the  time  is  at  hand. 

This  grouping  of  "him  that  readeth"  with  "those  that  hoar" 
contemplates  the  public  reading  in  their  Christian  assemblies. 
We  should  bear  in  mind  that  printed  Bibles  were  then  unknown; 
that  manuscript  copies  were  few  and  very  costly,  and  therefore  the 
hearers  would  far  outnumber  the  readers. The  blessing  prom- 
ised to  both  classes  implies  that  these  words  had  a  great  moral 
purpose ;  were  designed  and  adapted  for  the  spiritual  good  of  the 
Christians  addressed;  and  moreover,  that  John,  and  the  inditing 
Spirit  no  less,  sought  by  every  proper  consideration  to  press  the 
brethren  to  a  diligent  study  of  this  book.    Let  every  reader  to-day 

accept  this  suggestion  and  strive  for  this  promised  blessing  ! 

"Keep  those  things  written  therein"  assumes  that  duty  is  enjoined 
here.  Blessed  are  those  who  open  their  hearts  to  the  inspiring 
power  of  this  book,  and  are  promjited  thercliy  to  the  utmost  fidel- 
ity in  doing  the  duties  which  it  reveals.  These  duties  were  pre- 
eminently, patient  sulforing  and  unswerving  fidelity  to  Christ  amid 


REVELATION. -CHAP.  I.  55 

ecencs  of  fiercest  trial  and  persecution  unto  l>loo(l. Again  the 

idea  is  reiterated,  "/or  the  time  is  at  ItandJ'  Kead  tliis  book  ■with- 
out delay;  receive  into  your  mind  its  timely  revelations;  take  homo 
to  your  sends  its  inspiring  inllucuces — lor  these  fearlul  scenes  of 
blood  and  death  arc  close  upon  you ! 

4.  John  to  the  seven  clinrches  ^vllicll  are  in  Asia:  Grace 
he  unto  you,  and  peace,  from  him  which  is,  and  uhich  was, 
and  which  is  to  come :  and  from  the  seven  S})irits  which 
are  beibre  his  throne: 

5.  And  from  Jesus  Christ,  %vlio  is  the  faithful  witness, 
and  the  first-begotten  of  tlie  dead,  and  the  prince  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth.  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed 
us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood, 

G.  And  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and 
his  Father ;  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and 
ever.     Amen. 

The  address,  "John  to  the  seven  churches,"  must  certainly  in- 
clude the  whole  book,  and  not  the  c(mtents  of  chapters  second  and 
tliird  only.    So  v.  11  declares  explicitly,  "What  thou  seesf — i.  e., 

ail  that  thou  shalt  see,  send  to  those  churches. The  invocation 

ftillows,  imploring  in  thcij*  behalf  grace  and  peace — every  spiritual 
blessing.     But  from  whom'?     This   question   involves   some   dilli- 

fulty. The  tenor  of  the  apostolic  benediction — "The  grace  of 

the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  love  of  Cod,  and  the  communion  of  tiie 
Holy  Ghost"  (2  Cor.  1.3:  14),  naturally  leads  us  to  think  here  of 
tlic  Trinity,  the  threefold  personal  manifestation  of  the  one  God. 
in  accordance  with  this  analogy  we  begin  with  applying  to  the 
Father  the  phrase,  "  llim  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is 
to  come."  Jt  is  generally  held  by  competent  critics  that  this 
(ireek  phrase  translates  as  to  its  meaning  the  Hebrew  word 
Jehovah^  which  signifies  The  eternally  Existent  One,  the  Great 
Immutable,  who  is  therefore  the  faithful  Promiser  (see  Ex.  3  :  14, 
and  IIos.  12:  5).  IJut  we  must  not  overlook  the  fact  that  in  this 
context  (vs.  8,  11,  and  elsewhere)  these  descriptive  terms  are  ap- 
plied precisely  to  the  Son  of  (Jod,  probably  with  special  i-cferenco 
to  his  pre-existent  nature.  Must  we  not  therefore  say  that  the 
main  purpose  in  this  chapter  is  not  so  much  to  develop  doctrinally 
tlie  fact  and  the  relations  of  the  Trinity,  as  to  set  forth  the  true 
divinity  as  well  as  the  glorious  humanity  of  the  Son  of  God,  and 
thus  give  the  churches  of  Asia  the  true  view  of  his  exalted  char- 
acter and  work? 

What  precise  idea  shall  we  find  in   the  second  phrase — ''Tlie 

peven  Spirits  which  are  before  his  tiirone  ?" The  parallel  and 

explanatory  passages  to  be  considered  are  onward  3  :  1,  ami  4  :  f), 
and  5  :  6.  "These  things  saith  he  that  hath  the  seven  Spirits  of 
God,  and   the  seven   stars;'    "There  were   seven  lamps  of  fire 


56  REVELATION.— CHAP.  I. 

I)urning  before  the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  Spirits  of  God;" 
"'I'hcrc  stood  a  lamb  as  it  luid  been  slain,  havinjj;  seven  horna 
and  seven  eyes,  which  are  the  seven  Spirits  of  (jod  sent  forth  into 

all  the  earth." ^Then  fnrtiiermore  we  must  inqnire  wiiether  we 

can  trace  this  peculiar  dcscri|Ytion  to  any  source  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophets,  and  thus  ol)tain  liiiht  in  regard  to  its  meanina;. 
Under  this  inquiry  we  must  consider  Zoch.  ?> :  9  and  4:  10: 
'  IJehold  the  stone  that  I  have  laid  before  Joshua;  upon  one 
stone  shall  bo  seven  eyes:  behold,  I  will  engrave  the  graving 
thereof,  saith  the  Ijord  of  hosts;"  "They  shall  see  the  stone 
[■  plummet 'J  in  the  hand  of  Zenibbabel  with  those  seven;  they 
are  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  which  run  to  and  fro  through  the  whole 
earth."  Perhaps  also  Isaiah  11:  2,  where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
which  rested  upon   the  Messiah   is  thought  by  some   to  have  a 

seven-fold  designation. This  phrase — "  The  seven  spirits  which 

are  before  the  throne/'  has  been  interpreted  variously,  e.  g.  : 
1.  To  signify  the  seven  archangels,  ministering  to  Jesus  and  for 
him  in  his  great  work  of  redemption.  2.  To  denote  the  spiritual 
and  providential  agencies  and  powers  with  which  Jesus  is  invested 
and  which  he  employs  in  the  rctilms  of  providence  and  grace. 
This  view  would  include  all  the  agencies  of  universal  providence 
as  well  as  the  spiritual  agencies  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Strictly 
speaking  it  does  not  involve  distinct  personality— nothing  in  this 
ilirection  beyond  poetic  pereonjfication.  .  3.  The  Holy  Ghost,  the 

third  person  of  the  Ti-inity,  in  his  distinct  personalit3\ Let  us 

examine  these  diverse  op.inions. 

1.  That  these  seven  spirits  are  seven  archangels  is  thought  by 
Korae  to  find  support  in  the  circumstance  that  they  are  said  to  be 
^'before  the  ihivne"  i.  e.,  in  the  waiting  attitude  of  servants;  also, 
that  they  are  associated  with  "  the  seven  stars  "  as  being  in  like 
manner  in  the  possession  and  sacred  to  the  service  of  the  Son  of 
God  [3  :  1 :  "Saith  he  that  hath  the  seven  Spirits  of  God,  and  the 
seven  stars"];    and  that  they  appear  again  in  symbol   as  seven 

lamps  of  line  burning  before   the    throne  (4 :  5). The    strong 

•ind,  as  I  think,  fatal  objection  to  this  view  lies  in  the  exigenciea 
of  tins  invocation  of  "grace  and  peace."  Can  we  possibly  sup- 
pose that  the  seven  archangels  are  classed  with  the  Father  and 
tlie  Son  as  being  equally  or  even  conjointly  with  them  the  source 
and  the  authors  of  grace  aud  peace  to  the  churches?  Surely  this 
is  new  doctrine  to  our  Bible.  It  ignores  the  infinite  distance  be- 
Veen  the  true  God,  the  Infinite  One,  and  even  the  most  exalted 
yf  his  created  subjects.  Grace  and  peace,  first  from  the  Eternal 
Father;  next  from  his  seven  archangels;  last  from  the  Eternal 
ind  Infinite  Son!  This  is  the  next  thing  to  praying  to  the  seven 
archangels.  It  certainly  must  assume  that  they  are,  in  substan- 
tially an  equivalent  sense,  the  source  and  the  fountain  of  grace 
and  peace  to  human  souls.  The  Bible  and  reason  both  revolt  at 
this! 

2.  Tlie  second  theory— viz.,  that  the  yJiraso  describes  the  jointly 


IlEYELATIO:s.— CHAP.  I.  0< 

providential  and  spiritual  agencies  wielded  by  Jesus  Christ  in  the 
scheme  of  rcdeiujition,  but  of  course  not  involving  any  distinct 
personality,  finds  its  chief  support  in  its  supposed  and  perhaps 
probable  allusion  to  the 'pfi^sages  quoted  above  (Zech.  3:  9  and 
4  :  10),  and  its  chief  objection  in  the  circumstance  that  here  wo 
naturally  look  for  real  personality.  The  passages  in  Zechariah 
manifestly  treat  of  (iod's  providential  and  spiritual  agencies  in  the 
discipline  of  his  peo]ile  and  in  the  care  of  his  Zion.  1  think  that 
jirobably  John  had  those  passages  so  far  in  his  mind  as  to  take 
i'rom  them  the  inimber  seven,  and  tlie  general  idea  of  diverse  agen- 
cies. Then,  thinking  also  of  the  New  Testament  illustrations  of 
the  manifold  workings  of  this  "one  and  the  same  Spirit,"  his  lan- 
guage took  the  form  we  see — "the  seven  Spirits  of  (lod."  With 
the  orientals  seven  is  the  perfect  number — that  which  indicates 

completeness ;    diversity,    yet    unity   and    perfection. As   said 

above,  the  chief  objection  to  this  second  theory  is  that  a  prayer 
for  grace  and  peace  should  be  oifered  to  a  personal  agent  and  not 
to  an  impersonal  agency.  May  the  blessings  of  grace  come  to 
you  (r?)  from  (Jod  the  Father;  {l)  from  his  various  agencies;  {<•) 
I'rom  his  Eternal  Son — is  incongruous.  It  is  not  so  unchristian 
and  uuscriptural  as  the  theory  of  seven  archangels;  but  a  better 
theory  is  at  hand. 

3.  The  only  view  which  seems  to  me  to  meet  the  exigencies  of 
tliis  passage  remains  to  be  consridered,  viz.,  that  by  the  seven 
Spirits  of  God  is  meant  the  Jloly  Ghost,  as  specially  revealed  in 
the  gospel  age.  This  is  entirely  in  harmony  with  the  tone  and 
the  nature  of  this  invocation.  Js  it  also  in  harmony  with  the  de- 
scription gli-en  in  this  verso  and  with  the  subsequent  notices  of 

"the   seven   Spirits"  in  this  book? He   is  one  of   the    three 

divine  persons  from  whom  I'aul  (2  Cor.  13  :  14)  invokes  spiritual 
Idessings.  That  he  is  conceived  of  as  seven-fold  need  not  surprise 
us  if  we  consider  the  diversity  of  his  spiritual  gifts  and  operations; 
the  probable  allusion  to  the  "seven  eyes"  of  Zechariah  (as  above 
shown)  or  the  abundant  use  of  the  number  seven  in  this  liook  of 
Kcvelation.  That  he  should  be  seen  ^^  before  the  throne"  does  in- 
deed imply  a  readiness  for  service ;  but  benevolent  service  is  no 
dishonor  to  his  heart,  and  is  in  no  wise  derogatory  to  his  true 
divinity.  That  Jesus  should  say  of  himself  (3  :  1),  "  He  that  hath 
the  seven  Spirits  of  (Jod,"  etc.,  means  only  what  is  implied  in  his 
own  first  and  chief  words  conccring  the  "Comforter:"  "I  will 
pray  t^ie  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter''  (John 
14:  IG);  "whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name"  (John  14:  26): 
"whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father he  shall  tes- 
tify of  me"  (15:20);  "  1  will  send  him  unto  you"  (10  :  7);  "He 
sliall  glorify  me  "  (10  :  14).  It  was  obviously  most  fitting  that  in 
liiese  messages  to  the  seven  churches  Jesus  should  reveal  himself 
in  the   exalted  dignity  of  his  relations  as   the  (iiver  of  the  Holy 

(Ihost. 'I'hc  si;ven  Sjiirits  of  Cod  are  also  presented  in  symbolic 

vision  (4  :  5)  as  "  seven  lamps  of  tire  burning  before  the  tlironc." 


58  REVELATION.— CIIAr.  I. 

Usinn;  tlio  figure  "lamps  of  fire"  as  only  a  Inimlile  stepping-stone 
to  help  us  to  reach  the  sublime  idea  of  light,  brilliancy,  and  glory, 
we  may  suppose  a  special  reference  here  to  the  function  of  the 
Spirit  as  the  great  Jtevcaler  of  God,  the  Infinite  Teacher^  sent  forth 
to  give  light  concerning  God  and  to  impress  all  truths  respecting 

him  upon  created  minds. That  the  Lamb  as  seen  in  vision  (5:  G) 

a[ipears  with  "  seven  horns,  and  seven  eyes,  which  are  the  seven 
Spirits  of  God  sent  forth  into  all  the  earth,"  is  an  effort  to  present 
in  .symbol  the  infinite  power  ["horns"],  and  the  infinite  spiritual 
iuroes  of  light  and  truth  ["eyes"]  which  are  embodied  in  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  sent  forth  by  the  Son  according  to  his  own  words 

(as  above  quoted)  to  his  disciples. Thus  this  interpretation  of 

tiie  seven  Spirits  of  God  as  in  our  passage  is  fully  in  harmony 
with  the  teaching  of  Christ  in  the  New  Testament  respecting  the 
work  and  mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  also  with  the  scope  of 
these  first  chapters  of  our  book  as  designed  to  set  forth  the  tran- 
scendant  dignity  and  glory  of  Jesus  Christ.  This  interpretation 
therefore  fully  meets  the  exigencies  of  the  case  and  must  for  every 
reason  be  adopted. 

The  sacred  Three  from  Avhom  blessing  are  invoked  is  com])leted 

by  naming  Jesus  Christ. The   three  descriptive  points  of  his 

person  should  be  specially  noted :  (a)  "  The  faithful  AVitness," 
who  "before  Pontius  Pihite  witnessed  a  noble  confession,"  as 
said  by  Paul  (1  Tim.  6  :  14)  and  as  may  be  seen  (John  18:  36); 
who  never  faltered  before  persecution  and  whose  example  there- 
fore as  a  faithful  witness  [martyr]  for  God  and  his  truth  was  em- 
inently in  point  for  the  churches  of  Asia  at  this  time,  (i)  "The 
first-born  of  the  dead  ;  "  the  first  to  break  the  bonds  of  death  and 
rise  to  immortal  life  and  glory— to  be  thought  of  now,  therefore, 
not  as  one  dea,d  but  as  one  living — living  in  all  the  majesty  and 
power  of  a  conqueror  over  Death  and  the  Grave ;  and  (c)  As  Lord 
of  all  lords  and  King  of  all  the  kings  of  the  earth,  whose  power 
over  the  mightiest  and  proudest  of  them  was  to  be  so  signally  man- 
ifested in  these  visions,  for  the  comfort  of  his  suffering  and  down- 
crushed  people. The  course  of  thought  in  the  words  that  fol- 
low is  an  outgushing  of  the  heart  in  grateful  love  and  adoration. 
Think  what  Jesus  hath  sufl'ered  and  wrought  for  us  !  Unto  Ilim 
that  loves  [rather  than  "loved"],  who  loves  us  now,  has  loved  us 
in  all  the  past,  and  will  love  us  in  all  the  future,  forever,  and  hath 
once  for  all  [past]  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood;  and 
hath  made  us  a  kingdom  (according  to  the  corrected  text,* rather 
than  "kings")  and  priests  unto  God  even  his  Father; — to  Him 
be  all  glory  and  dominion  forever !  Who  so  worthy  as  He  to 
Avear  the  crown  of  the  Universe — to  bear  the  glories  of  the 
heavenly  world  ?     Let  our  loving,  grateful  hearts  adore  him  now 

and  forever.     Amen! It  Avas  Avell  for  those  who  Avere  subjected 

to  fiery  trial  eA'en  unto  blood  to  think  of  this  once  suflering  Jesus 
and  of  all  the  pains  he  bore  for  his  people  even  unto  blood  and 
death  to  "wash  them  from  their  sins."     So  it   is  Avell  for  us  in 


EEVELATION.— CnAP.  I.  60 

ihcsc  latter  da3's  to  think  of  that  great  man  of  sorrows  and  of  his 
quenuhlcss  lovo  for  us  what  time  soever  temptation  may  try. our 
heart    ami  Satan  would  discourage  or  frighten  our  weary  souls. 

■ ''Washed  ns   from   our    sins    in    his  own  blood"  hears   the 

strongest  testimony  to  the  two-fold  significance  of  the  atone- 
ment, i.  e.,  remission  of  past  sins  through  innocent  blood  shed  for 
the  guilty,  and  moral  cleansing  from  the  spirit  of  sinning  forcver- 
m  tre.  F<n- if  moral  cleansing  were  the  only  element,  blood  which 
is  properly  defiling  could  nut  have  been  the  symbol.  But  blood 
m  jst  come  in  to  signify  the  ground  of  remission,  pardon — as  the 
whole  genius  of  the  sacrificial  system  testifies.  Ilcnce  we  have 
both  ideas,  remission  and  cleansing,  in  this  comprehensive  and 
briefest  possible  language — "  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his 
blood." 

7.  Behold,  lie  Cometh  uitli  cloucb  ;  and  every  eye  shall 
see  liiiu,  and  tliey  aho  Avhich  pierced  him  :  and  all  kindreds 
of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him.     Even  so,  Ameu. 

'J'o  what  ^'  comivff"  does  this  passage  refer? The  reader  who 

shall  carefully  study  the  words  of  our  Lord  in  Mat.  24:  29-31,  and 
10  :  27,  28,  and  10:  23,  and  in  kindred  passages  also,  will  readily 
see  that  .lohn  here  refers  to  those  declarations,  using  the  same 
words,  and  tlicreHjre  doubtless  in  the  same  sense.  Here  we  have 
"  couictli  with  clouds  ;  "  there,  "  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  : " 
here,  "every  eye  shall  see  him;  "  there,  "they  ['all  the  tribes  of 
the  earth  ']  shall  see  the  t^on  of  man  coming:  "  here,  all  the  kin- 
dreds of  the  earth  [or  land]  shall  wail  because  of  him;"  there, 
"  then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn."  "  They  also  who 
]iierccd  him"  looks  definitely  to  the  prophecy  of  Zechaviah  (12: 
id);   ■' Tiiey  shall  look  on  me  whom  they  have  pierced,  and  they 

shall  mourn  for  him." Examining  those  words  of  our  Lord  in 

the  passages  above  named  we  shall  see  that  he  seems  to  have  be- 
fore his  mind  both  of  his  two  great  comings  then  future  (the  first 
suggesting  the  second) ;  the  first,  to  set  up  his  gospel  kingdom 
with  power  by  sending  down  the  Holy  Cihost  and  l)y  destroying 
.lerusalem  :  the  second,  for  the  final  judgment  of  all  mankind; — 
using  some  language  that  might  (in  itself  considered)  ajiply  to  his 
more  reunite  coming;  but  also  giving  some  definite  limitatitins  of 
time  which  compel  us  to  say  that  the  first  coming  was  certainly 
in  his  mind  as  the  primary  and  main  thing  intended.  Tliese  are 
some  of  the  limitations  :  ''  Verily  i  say  unto  you.  This  generation 
shall  not  pass  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled"  (Mat.  24:  3-1). 
"  Veril}^  1  say  unto  you,  There  be_  some  standing  here  who  shall 
not  taste  of  death  till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his 
kingdom"  (Mat.  16:  28).  "Ye  shall  not  have  gone  over  the 
cities  of  Israel  till  the  Son  of  man  be  come"  (j\Iat.  10:  23).  "If 
1  will  that  he  tarry  till  1  come,  what  is  that  to  thee?"  (John 
21  :  22).  These  limitations  are  entirely  decisive.  They  compel 
us  to  admit  that  Jesus  did  use  the  language  above  quoted  of  his 


60  REVELATIOX.— CHAP.  I. 

first  coming — the  nearer  one — to  establish  his  kingdom  by  the 
mission  of  his  Spii'it  and  by  removing  out  of  the  way  the  first 
great  obstacle   to  its   prosperity — the  rotten  Judaism  of  that  age 

and  its  representative  city,  Jerusalem. It  may  be  briefly  said 

here  in  passing,  that  according  to  tiie  genius  of  prophecy,  Jesus 
might  pass  readily  by  analogy  from  his  first  coming,  then  near,  to 
his  second.  So  he  manifestly  does  in  Mat.  25,  giving  as  some  of 
the  grand  events  of  his  second  coming  which  were  so  powerfully 

suggested  by  his  first  coming. In  tlie  pjassage  now  before  us 

the  general  drift  of  thought  in  the  former  part  of  this  booli 
strongly  favors  its  primary  reference  to  the  first  great  coming  of 
Christ  to  establish  his  kingdom  on  earth  by  the  gift  of  his  Spirit 
and  the  overthrow  of  Judaism  and  Jerusalem.  It  may  have  been 
literally  true  that  some  of  those  who  shouted,  "  Crucify  him  ! " 
lived  to  "  wail  because  of  him  "  in  overwhelming  anguish  over  the 
ruin  of  their  city  and  the  wreck  of  all  their  hopes.  There  13 
sometimes  a  terrible  significance  in  God's  visible,  present  retri- 
butions ! 

8.  I  am  Alplia  and  Oraega,  the  Legiuning  and  the  end- 
ing, saith  the  Lord,  which  is,  and  "which  was,  and  which 
ia  to  come,  tlie  Almighty. 

Many  of  my  readers  will  not  need  to  be  told  that  "Alpha"  in 
the  name  of  the  first  letter  of  the  Greek  alphabet,  and  "Omega" 
of  the  last,  so  that  these  Avords  have  the  sense.  The  First  and  the 
Last;  the  One  who  is  before  all  the  created  things  of  the  uni- 
verse, the  Great  Creator  of  all,  and  whose  power  and  glory  are  to 
be  specially  manifested  in  the  closing  up,  the  consummation,  of 
all  that  pertains  to  this  world,  including  both  things  material  and 
things  moral — the  great  globe  itself  and  the  destinies  of  all  the 
moral  agents  who  shall  ever  have  lived  upon  it.  This  is  much 
more  than  simply  coming  into  existence  before  any  other  being 
and  outliving  them  all;  i.  e.,  the  language  used  of  Jesus  Christ, 
involves  and  implies  much  more  than  its  terms  in  themselves  nec- 
essarily include. In  the  original,  some  of  the  oldest  manu- 
scripts omit — "  the  beginning  and  the  ending."  These  words  may 
have  been  introduced  by  some  copyist  to  explain  the  meaning  of 
the  Greek  woi'ds  "  Alpha  "  and  "  Omega  "  for  the  benefit  of  readers 
not  familiar  with  that  language.    Omitted  or  retained,  the  sense  of 

the  passage  is  the  same. The  point  most  worthy  to  be  specially 

noted  in  the  verse  is  that  Jesus  here  assumes  for  himself  the  very 
names — "The  Lord,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  is  the  Coming 
One," — which  are  given  to  the  Father,  in  v.  4.  "All  things  that 
the  Father  hath"  (said  Jesus,  John  16:  15)  "are  mine."  It  ia 
strongly  the  purpose  in  this  chapter  and  indeed  onward  through 
the  book,  to  present  Jesus  Christ  in  his  exalted  character  and  re- 
lations, so  that  Christians  then  sorely  tempted  and  tried  might  not 
think  of  him  as  once  in  weakness  he  walked  the  earth,  often  barely 
escaping  the  malice  of  his  foes,  and  finally  falling  iuto  their  hands 


REVELATION.— CHAP,  I,  61 

f(tr  torture  and  death ;  but  rather,  as  livinj:;  for  evermore,  the  very 
(Jod,  all  glorious,  almi<rlity  to  save  or  to  destroy,  the  arbiter  of  all 
huiuan  destinies — death  to  his  foes;  salvation  and  inlinite  glory 
to  his  friends.  In  these  views  of  him  there  must  have  been  a 
marvelous  power  of  inspiration  toward  the  stability  and  endurance 
of  the  faithful  martyr. 

9.  I  John,  ■\vlio  also  am  your  brother,  and  companion 
in  tribulation,  and  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Je.su>? 
Cliri.st,  "vvas  in  the  isle  that  is  called  Patnios,  for  the  uord 
of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  writer  introduces  himself  more  definitely.  It  was  geni«l 
and  winning  in  him  to  say — "  Your  brother,"  one  who  suffers  in 
common  with  yourselves  under  sore  tribulation  for  the  sake  of  the 

kingdcmi  and  the  truth  of  our  Lord  Jesus. lie  was  in  the  isle 

of  i'atmos,  well  known  to  the  brethren  of  the  seven  churches,  for  it 
lay  only  a  little  off  the  coast  from  Ephcsus;  small — being  only  some 
eight  miles  by  one — barren,  rocky,  and  rough,  looking  out  upon 
the  great  deep  sea — fit  place  for  the  manifestations  of  heavenly 
visions  sublimely  grand  and  magnificent,  but  as  to  all  human 
relationships  and  enjoyments,  a  desolate  place  of  exile.  There 
John  Avas  shut  up  because  he  would  preach  the  gospel  and  bear 
his  testimony  for  Jesus. 

10.  I  Avas  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  da}',  and  heard 
behind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet. 

It  was  on  the  Lord's  day,  the  Christian  Sabbath,  when  suddc-nly 
lie  passed  into  that  peculiar  prophetic  state  expressed  by  the 
words — "in  Spirit" — a  state  in  which  the  prophet  is  put  in  special 
communication  with  the  Ifoly  Ghost  as  the  Itevealer  of  prophetic 
truth.  His  ear  was  opened  to  hear  the  very  voice  of  Jesus,  and 
his  eye  to  see  (as  in  the  present  ease)  his  sublimely  glorious  form. 

it  avails  little  to  speculate  as  to  the  p.sychological  nature  of 

this  prophetic  state.     Experience  only  can  give  it. 

11.  Saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the 
lust :  and,  What  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and  send  it 
unto  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia;  unto  Ephesus, 
and  unto  Smyrna,  and  unto  Porgamos,  and  unto  Thyatira, 
and  unto  Surdis,  and  mito  rhiiadelj^hia,  and  unto  Lao- 
dicea. 

"  What  thou  seest" — i.  e.,  all  that  is  now  to  l)e  shown  lliee  in 
the  successive  visions  which  make  up  this  entire  book.  The  word 
"  seest"  refers  properly  to  the  visions — those  of  chaps.  4-22,  rather 
than  to  the  vei'bal  messages  which  appear  in  chaps.  2  and  3.  Yet 
we  may  admit  those  chapters  (2  and  3)  as  included  in  the  com- 
mand, and  attril)ute  the  ciioice  of  the  word  "seest"  before  hearesl, 


62  REVELATION.— CHAP.  I. 

to  the  circumstance  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  book  is 

made  up  of  visions  presented  to  the  eye. Many  commentators 

have  restricted  this  command  to  the  messages  that  -were  sin)ply 
heard  (not  seen,  at  all),  which  occupy  chapters  second  and  third, 
practically  if  not  avowedly  denying  its  reference  to  the  real 
visions — the  things  seen.  Such  construction  is  utterly  against  the 
fair  and  necessary  sense  of  the  words.  They  are  laboring  to  make 
out  that  the  real  visions  of  the  book  w^ere  neither  written,  sent,  or 
adapted  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia.     It  is  much  better  to  let 

the  book  speak  for  itself  and   become  its  own   interpreter. 

iSome  geographical  and  historical  notes  upon  these  seven  cities, 
from  which  these  churches  take  their  name  Avill  be  given  where 
tlieir  names  come  up  in  detail  (chaps.  2  and  3). 

12.  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spake  with  me. 
And  being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks ; 

"  Turned  to  see  the  voice,"  i.  e.,  the  author  of  the  voice,  the 
speaker.  The  precise  sense  of  the  original  is,  to  see  whoever  it 
might  be  wdiose  unrecognized  voice  1  had  heard. This  pro- 
phetic symbol,  "candlestick,"  to  represent  a  church  (see  the  ex- 
planation in  V.  20),  comes  ol)viously  from  Zech.  4.  The  essential 
idea  is  given  by  our  Lord  (Mat.  5:  14,  and  John  8:  12):  "Ye  are 
the  light  oi  the  world;"  and  by  Paul  (Phil.  2:  15)  more  closely 
because  in  the  concrete  form:  "Ye  shine  as  ligliis  (luminaries, 
or  light-bearers)  in  the  Avorld."  AVhat  light  is  to  the  eye,  that 
knowledge  is  to  the  mind.  Hence  the  teachers  of  truth  are  in 
Bymbol,  light-bearers. 

13.  And  in  the  niid.st  of  the  seven  candlesticks  one  like 
unto  the  Son  of  man,  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the 
foot,  and  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle. 

"In  the  midst,"  etc.,  to  indicate  the  perpetual  presence  of  Christ 

among  his  churches,  with  his  people. "  One  like  a  .Son  of  man, ' 

rather  than  the  Son.  The  (Jreek  is  without  the  article,  the  sense 
being,  not  that  this  personage  resembled  him  whom  1  saw  often 
ill  the  days  of  his  flesh;  but  merely  that  though  clad  with  sur- 
passing effulgence  of  glorj"-,  yet  the  form  was  human — the  resem- 
blance that  of  man.  The  critical  reader  will  note  that  Avhen  Jesus 
BO  often  spake  of  himself  as  "the  Son  of  man"  (of  Avhich  cases 
tliere  are  said  to  be  eighty),  he  always  used  the  article — "  the  Son 
of  man."     The   expression  in  our  verse  therefore  does  not  class 

itself  Avith   those. His  outer   garment  fell  to  the  feet,  and  a 

golden  girdle  was  passed  round  at  the  breasts.  This  of  course 
was  (fitly)  the  oriental  costume  of  royalty,  the  dress  worn  by 
kings,  and  associated  with  the  highest  ideas  of  dignity  and  ex- 
altation. 

14.  His  head  and  his  hairs  xocre  white  like  wool,  as  white 
as  snow;  and  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire; 


ItEVELATION.-CIIAP.  I.  63 

In  the  point  of  wliiteness  this  83'nibol  ia  perhaps  in  imitution  of 
"  tlie  Ancient  of  ilaj-s  "  as  shown  to  Daniel  (7  :  9),  "whose  f^anuent 
was  white  as  snow,  and  the  hair  of  his  head  like  the  pure  wool." 
It  may  l)lend  the  two  ideas — whiteness  as  the  symbol  of  purity, 

.  and  white  hairs  as  the  crown  and  the  glory  of  patriarchal  ajje. 

The  eyes,  always  the  most  expressive  and  most  spiritual  anion;:; 
tlie  parts  and  organs  of  the  human  frame,  are  as  a  flame  of  firo. 
Liglit,  brilliancy,  energy,  thrilling  power — all  combined — can  be 
set  fortii  b}-  no  more  pertinent  symbol  than  tliis — "u  flame  of  lire.  " 
Such  were  his  eyes. 

15.  And  liis  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned 
in  a  furnace;  and  his  voice  as  the  sound  of  many  waters. 

"Crass,"  one  of  the  oriental  symbols  of  strength,  is  heightened 
here  by  a  glowing  radiance,  compared  to  metal  burning  in  a  fur- 
nace.  His  voice,  deep,  grand,  majestic  as  the  roar  of  the  sea, 

was  imagery  wonderfully  fresh  and  expressive  to  John,  sitting  often 
on  the  barren  cliffs  of  I'utmos,  listening  to  the  surging  billows  and 
breakers  at  his  feet. 

10,  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars:  and  out 
of  liis  mouth  went  a  sharp"  two-edged  sword :  and  liis  coun- 
tenance was  as  the  sun  shiueth  in  his  strength. 

Think  of  the  grandeur  of  this  scene — seven  stars  held  In  his 
right  hand;  out  of  his  mouth  a  sharp  two-edged  sword — strikingly 
significant  of  his  piercing  words — armed  with  a  power  of  truth 
Avhieh  none   could  gainsay,  and  with   a   majesty  and   terror   of 

(lireatening   before   which   earth  and  heaven  flee  away! And 

then  to  crown  this  wonderfully  impressive  manifestation,  his  coun- 
tenance was  as  the  sun  in  his  peerless  effulgence  when  his  un- 
(douded  face  pours  forth  such  light  and  heat  as  no  mortal  eye  can 
bear. The  "sword  from  the  mouth"  seems  violent  and  unnat- 
ural when  thought  of  as  seen,  yet  the  significance  is  clear  and  the 
representation  full  of  powei-.  While  all  the  other  points  In  this 
de.-<cription  are  at  once  surpassingly  grand  and  also  in  harmony 
with  nature,  this  seems  somewhat  out  of  such  harmony.     But  let 

Its  surpassing  energy  atone  for  its  apparent  rudeness. In  view 

of  this  unparalleled  manifestation  of  the  subllmest  elements  of 
grandeur,  dignity  and  power,  it  were  of  small  avail  for  us  to  in- 
([iiire  whether  this  represents  the  risen  Jesus  as  he  now  appears 
u[)on  his  throne  in  the  highest  heavens.  On  this  point  let  us  sup- 
press our  curiosity  and  postpone  our  inquiries  till  the  light  of 
heaven  shall  burst  on  our  eyes.  It  Is  enough  here  to  say  that 
Ibis  manifestation  to  John  had  a  definite  moral  purpose,  jointly 
lor  him  and  for  those  whom  he,  or  rather  Jesus  through  him,  ad- 
dressed— the  seven  churches.  It  was  Important  that  both  John 
and  his  brethren  of  those  churches  should  think  of  the  risen  Jesua 
as  no  longer  the  frail,  suEFering,  feeble  man  of  Nazareth,  nor  even 


64  KEVELATIOX.-CIIaP.  I. 

merely  as  the  risen  personage  ■who  appeared  from  time  to  time 
during  forty  days  after  his  resurrection;  but  far  other  than  cither 
of  those  forms  and  indetinitely  more  glorious — as  now  invested 
with  splendor  and  glory  higher  than  Avhich  no  forms  of  matter 
known  to  us  have  ever  attained — a  voice  surpassing  all  human 
range  and  power — an  eye  piercing  and  thrilling,  far  aliove  tlie 
merely  human — a  countenance  that  gathered  into  itself  the  efl'ul- 
gence  of  dazzling,  overwhelming  glory.  The  purposed  moral  im- 
pression of  this  scene  can  not  be  mistaken.  Let  the  cliurches 
know  that  their  risen  Redeemer  is  mighty;  is  crowned  with  glory 
and  honor  and  set  over  the  realm  of  nature  and  the  empire  of  the 
world,  "King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords."  Let  them  have  no  fear 
as  to  the  final  triumph  of  his  cause.  Let  them  shrink  from  no 
endurance  of  pain  even  to  death  for  his  sake.  Let  it  be  settled 
forever  in  their  souls  that  such  a  Savior  is  strong  to  sustain  his 
friends  or  to  crush  his  foes ;  that  his  promised  rewards  are  ineifa- 
bly  glorious,  but  that  his  wrath  burns  to  the  lowest  hell,  to  the  un- 
utterable dismay  of  his  pi'oudest,  mightiest  enemies.  Such  mani- 
festations of  such  a  Savior  were  adapted  with  Divine  wisdom  to 
arm  them  for  the  conflict  through  wliich  they  were  so  soon  to 
pass. 

17.  And  when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead. 
And  he  laid  his  riglit  hand  upon  me,  saving  unto  me. 
Fear  not ;  I  am  the  first  and  the  last : 

18.  /  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead ;  and,  behold,  I 
am  alive  for  evermore,  Amen;  and  have  the  keys  of  hell 
and  of  death. 

The  view  was  overpowering.  'J'liorc  is  a  liuiit  to  human  en- 
durance under  such  an  effulgence  of  glory.  Jesus  kindly  relieved 
•his  mind  of  the  sense  of  terror,  and  soothed  his  agitated  emotions 

with  words  and  tones  of  comfort. "The  first  and  the  last"  only 

puts  in  simpler  form  what  was  first  said  (v.  8)  in  the  words,  "  1 
am  Alpha  and  Omega."  As  to  the  sense,  "1  am  the  first  and  the 
last"  means,  not  properly,  the  first  to  come  into  being  and  the  last 
to  cease  to  be ;  not,  1  antedate  all  other  beings  and  1  shall  outlast 
them  all;  but  this — I  am  the  first  Cause  of  all  that  have  existence, 
the  infinite  Creator  of  all;  and  I  am  also  the  Arbiter  of  their  des- 
tinies, having  infinite  control  of  all  last  things.  This  construction 
gives  the  only  admissible  sense  of  these  words  taken  in  themselves, 

and  is  also  sustained  by  the  immediate  context. "  I  am  he  that 

liveth"  is  put  forcibly  by  the  (Ireck  participle:  I  am  the  living 
One;  this  is  for  evermore  my  distinctive  attribute — the  living  One, 
in  a  sense  which  implies  both  perpetual  existence  in  himself  and 
the  source  of  existence  to  all  created  beings.  Passing,  l>y  the  most 
sudden  transition,  from  the  divine  to  the  human,  he  says,  I  was 
indeed  for  a  short  time  "dead,"  but  mark,  behold!  I  am  now  the 
living  One  for  evermore.     Also  I  have  absolute  power  over  Death 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  I.  65 

and  Hell.  The  n^encics  of  Death  upon  this  sinning  race,  and  the 
worlds  where  all  departed  souls  abide,  are  under  my  supreme  con- 
trol.    I  open  or  shut  their  gates  at  my  will. Death  and  IJcll 

(Uades)  are  here  personiiieil  as  in  Rev.  6  :  8,  and  20 :  13,  14. 

It  would  lead  us  too  far  aside  from  the  current  of  thought  here  to 
discuss  and  present  at  length  the  precise  and  correlated  meanings 
of  the  New  Testament  words  lla(les  and  Gehenna:  Hades,  the  in- 
visible world  wliitiier  go  the  spirits  of  all  the  dead,  some  to  woe 
and  some  to  bliss  (Luke  Hi:  lU-20);  (ichenna,  exclusively  the 
nlace  and  the  doom  of  the  lost  (Mat.  5  :  29,  iJO,  and  lU:  28,  and 
Alark  9:  47,  etc.).  yufficc  it  here  to  say  that  our  passage  sets  forth 
this  glorious  I'ersonage  as- having  the  absolute  rule  over  both 
Death  himself  and  the  destinies  of  all  the  dead  who  people  that' 
invisible  realm  of  existence  which  lies  immediately  beyond  this. 

10.  AVritc  the  tiling's  which  thou  hast  .seen,  and  the  thing.s 
which  are,  and  the  thing.s  which  shall  be  hereafter  ; 

The  middle  clause,  "  The  things  which  arc,"  Prof  Stuart  and 
some  otliers  construe  to  mean,  what  they  are,  i.  e.,  what  they  sig- 
nify. ^Vrite  out  the  visions  and  their  significance.  This  seems  to 
me  too  remote  from  the  primary  and  usual  sense  of  the  verb  to 
be.  i  prefer  tliis  construction  of  the  whole  verse :  ''  Therefore, 
since  the  divine  Jesus  who  speaks  to  thee  rules  the  destinies  of 
i)oth  the  living  and  the  dead,  and  has  the  great  future  in  his  eye 
and  in  his  shaping  hand,  write  what  things  thou  hast  seen  and 
shalt  see"  [the  Greek  aorist  tense  covering  the  recently  present 
and  the  nearer  future],  and  then,  expanding  the  thought  more 
fully  he  adds — "both  the  things  which  arc  and  the  things  which 
shall  be  closely  after  these."  Some  of  these  visions  revealed 
things  present;  some,  things  near  in  the  future:  he  is  commanded 
to  write  down  both. 

20.  The  niy.«:tery  of  the  seven  star.s  which  thou  sawcst  in 
my  right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks.  The 
seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches :  and  the 
seven  candlesticks  which  thou  sawest  are  the  seven 
cluirche.s. 

He  explains  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand  to  denote  the 
seven  angels  to  as  many  churches.  They  are  angels  no  doubt  in 
the  usual  sense  of  messengers.  I>ut  since  their  mission  lies  not 
between  Jesus  and  John,  but  between  John  and  the  churches, 
they  are  not  superhuman,  but  human — so  many  individual  men 
through  whom  Johi^  was  to  address  those  churches.  ^Vhat  other 
functions  they  held  besides  that  of  communicating  John's  mes- 
sages, this  book  does  not  tell  us;  no  other  document  informs  us; 
it  is  therefore  of  small  avail  for  us  to  speculate  about  it.  Their 
relations  were  not  diocesan,  i.  e.,  over  many  churches,  for  the  record 
here  restricts  them  each  to  his  own,  and  moreover  gives  no  hint 


66  REVELATION.— CHAP.  II. 

of  ecclcsisastical  power  in  them  beyond  what  is  implied  in  oon- 
veyint;  a  written  message  from  John — not  to  say  that  if  those 
churches  had  any  diocesan,  John  himself  should  liave  been  the 
man.  We  must  pass  this  much  litigated  question  with  only  these 
brief  hints. 


CIIArTEll  IT. 

Here  are  four  of  the  seven  special  letters  addressed  respectively 
to  Ephesus  (1-7);  to  Smyrna  (8-11);  to  Pergamos  (12-17);  and 
to  Thyatira  (18-20).  Obviously  the  reason  for  a  distinct  message 
to  each  lay  in  what  was  peculiar  in  their  respective  cases ;  in  the 
tone  of  their  love,  their  stability,  their  Christian  Avork,  the  errors 
of  doctrine  and  of  practice  which  had  crept  in  to  pervert  their 
sentiments  and  corrupt  their  Christian  life.  While  the  visions 
that  follow  and  make  up  the  body  of  the  book  would  be  pertinent 
to  them  all  and  therefore  arc  addressed  without  distinction  to 
them  all,  the  brief  messages  recorded  in  chapters  2  and  3  were 
wisely  addressed  to  these  churches  severally. 

Geographically  these  cities  lay  on  a  curved  line  somewhat  in 
the  shape  of  a  horse-shoe  magnet  so  that  they  might  be  taken  by 
a  tourist  in  the  very  order  in  which  they  stand  in  this  book:  thus 
from  Ephesus  north  to  Smyrna,  40  miles ;  thence  north  to  Per- 
gamos, 60  miles ;  thence  east  to  Thyatira,  30  miles ;  thence  south 
to  Sardis,  40  miles ;  thence  south-east  to  Philadelphia.  30  miles ; 
thence  south-east  to  Laodicea,  50  miles.  Near  the  last  named  lay 
Colosse  and  Hierapolis.  Of  the  seven  cities,  the  first  three  were 
maritime;  the  others  were  inland  on  the  returning  portion  of  the 
curve. 


1.  Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Ephe.'^iis  write:  These 
things  saith  lie  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right 
hand,  who  walketh  in  the  midt<t  of  the  seven  golden  can- 
dlesticks ; 

2.  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy  labor,  and  thy  patience, 
and  how  thou  canst  not  bear  them  which  are  evil :  and 
thou  hast  tried  them  which  say  they  are  apostles,  and  are 
not,  and  hast  found  them  liars : 

3.  And  hast  borne,  and  liast  patience,  and  for  my  name's 
Bake  hast  labored,  and  hast  not  fainted. 

Ephesus  was  the  home  of  the  Apostle  John,  from  which  it  i3 
generally  conceded  he  was  banished,  and  to  Avhich  when  free  to 
do  so  he  returned  to  reside,  and  where  tradition  locates  his  sep- 


KEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  11.  67 

ulchcr.  It  was  tlic  groat  city  of  Asia  ]\[inor,  ftiiiious  for  the  wor- 
eliip  of  Diana.  The  reader  will  readily  recall  the  labors  and 
history  of  Paul    in  this   city   (Acts   18  : 'p.)-21,  and   19,  and  2U: 

17-38)  as  also  his  letter  to  them. The  Ephesian  brethren  are 

first  reminded  of  the  dignity  and  glory  of  the  great  Author  of  this 
message,  "holding  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand"  in  the  sense 
oi  xtpholding  those  faithful  messengers  by  whom  these  words  were 
sent;  also  "walking  amid  the  seven  golden  candlesticks"  witli 
perpetual  presence   and   omniscient  axa.     Therefore,  with   babul 

breath  and  reverent  spirit,  let  them  listen  to   his  words. "  1 

know "  is  intensely  expressive.  Ye  may  have  thought  (John 
would  say)  that  Jesus,  your  pi'ofessed  Lord,  is  far  away  and  takes 
no  special  notice  of  your  heart  or  life.  Xo  mistake  could  be 
greater.  The  heart  and  the  life  of  every  one  of  j^ou  are  ever  be- 
fore him. Jesus  is  careful  to  notice  with  commendation  what> 

ever  will  bear  it.     So  always. 

4.  Nevertheless  I  have  someichat  against  thee,  because 
thou  hast  left  thy  first  love. 

The  italic  word  '^somewhat"  were  better  omitted,  the  sense  be- 
ing, not  that  I  have  a  small  account,  a  somcwJiat  of  perhaps  trivial 
sort,  against  thee;  but  1  have  this  against  thee,  "that  thou  ha.st 
left  thy  first  love."  This  losing  thy  first  love  I  have  against  thco 
as  thy  great  sin.  ITow  couldst  thou  forget  my  blood  and  tears 
fur  thee  ;  how  could  thine  heart  lose  the  freshness,  life,  and  power  of 

thy  first  love  to  thine  own  Redeemer,  thine  own  best  Friend  ! It 

should  be  carefully  noted  that  this  losing  of  first  love  is  accounted 
a  great  sin,  most  oilcnsive  to  Jesus,  most  grievous  to  his  ever  loving 
and  ever  constant  heart.  This  assumes  that  such  loss  of  first 
love  is  by  no  means  a  necessity  of  the  Christian  life;  must  not  be 
excused  as  a  thing  of  course — an  inevitable  result,  and  therefore  a 
trivial  and  scarcely  censurable  offence.  This  view  of  it  is  some- 
times taken  ; — alas,  that  it  should  be  I  IIow  cruel  to  the  heart  of 
Jesus!  How  strangely  unreasonable  in  itself!  How  perilous  to 
the  constancy  and  growth  of  young  Christians  must  such  teaching 
be ! It  is  pertinent  here  to  say  that  this  decline  of  the  Ephe- 
sian brethren  from  their  first  love  was  the  very  point  of  their 
special  danger  as  well  as  of  their  special  guilt.  We  are  not  told 
what  peculiar  temptation  had  stolen  away  their  heart  and  broken 
down  their  love  for  Jesus.  Perhaps  it  was  the  fi\scinations  of  a 
great  city,  the  dominant  spirit  of  worldliness,  polluting  (socially) 
the  very  atmosphere  they  breathed  ;  but  be  it  what  it  may,  it  cut 
the  sinews  of  their  Christian  strength  as  against  the  fiery  temj)- 
tations  that  were  to  come  upon  them;  it  begat  a  spiritual  state  in 
which  they  would  surely  fall  before  the  first  fierce  blast  of  perse- 
cution which  should  summon  them  to  torture  or  to  death  for 
Jesus.  Nothing  short  of  the  purest,  warmest  love  for  Jesus  could 
abide  such  an  ordr^al.  Hence  the  solemn  and  fearfully  earnest 
rebuke  and  admonition  which  follow. 


68  KEVELATION— CIIAr.  II. 

5.  Remember  therefore  from  "svlience  thou  art  fallen,  and 
repent,  and  do  the  first  works ;  or  else  I  "will  come  unto 
thee  quickly,  and  will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his 
place,  except  thou  repent. 

■Recall  thy  first  love  and  mark  how  deep  thou  hast  fiillcn. 
^^  Hepent"  in  the  twofold  sense  of  deploring  thy  sin  and  of  turn- 
ing thy  heart  from  it.  "  IJo  the  former  works "  of  warm  and 
earnest  love  and  fresh  devotion  to  thy  Lord — implying  what  is 
always  true,  that  the  love  which  Christ  requires  is  not  a  mere 
emotion  that  stirs  only  the  sensibilities,  and  may  flow  off  in  tears 
or  evanesce  in  raptures,  hut  leave  no  result  in  true  Christian 
work  for  Jesus.  Altogether  unlike  this  scntimentalism — this  emo- 
tion of  the  novel  reader  who  has  tears  but  nothing  else  for  human 
sutFering  or  want — the  love  that  Jesus  calls  for  has  vxirk  in  it 
and  evermore  coming  out  of  it;  for  what  saith  he?  "If  ye  love 
me,  keep  my  commandments."  "  lie  that  keepeth  my  commandments, 
he  it  is  that  lovcth  me"  (John  1-i:  15,  21).     Therefore  returning 

to  one's  first  love  is  synonymous  with  "doing  thy  first  works." 

J*>y  what  consideration  is  this  urged  ?  "  Else  1  will  come  unto  thee 
quickly  " — hut  not  in  blessings — not  to  give  thee  fresh  tokens  of 
approval  and  esteem;  hut  to  "remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his 
place,  except  thou  repent."  Christ  would  own  them  as  his  church 
no  longer;   would  smite  down  the   golden  candlestick  and  doom 

the  church  to  extinction  ! Of  the  nearer  future  of  this  Ephe- 

sian  church  we  have  no  record  in  the  New  Testament.  But  we 
do  know  that  for  centuries  past,  that  once  proud  city  has  been  a 
ruin  ;  from  that  Christian  candlestick  no  light  has  gone  forth  for 
many  ages !  That  threatening  Avas  but  too  significant  of  her 
prophetic  future  1 

6.  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou  liatcst  the  deeds  of  the 
Nicolaitans,  which  I  also  hate. 

On  the  question  who  were  these  "Nicolaitans?"  there  has  been 
much  diS"erence  of  opinion  among  critics.  The  data  for  an  en- 
tirely decisive  conclusion  seem  lacking. (a)   The  theory  that 

this  sect  takes  its  name  from  Nicolas,  "a  proselyte  of  Antioch," 

one  of  the  seven  deacons  (Acts  6  :  5),  is  almost  baseless. (6) 

The  theoi'y  that  the  word  has  etymological  affinities  with  Balaam, 
both  alike  having  the  sense,  destroyers  of  the  people.,  lacks  adequate 
support.  In  vs.  14,  15,  below,  these  two  sects  seem  to  be  really 
though  not  perhaps  very  broadly  distinguished.  The  utmost  that 
can  be  safely  said  is  that  this  sect  in  some  points — perhaps  some 
leading  points — resembled  the  Balaamites  described  in  v.  14.  Sec 
notes  on  that  passage. 

7.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  uuto  the  churches  ;    To  him  that  overcometh  will  I 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  II.  69 

give  to  cat  of  the  tree  of  life,  uhicli  is  in  the  mid.-it  of 
the  paradise  of  God. 

Each  message  introduces  its  closing  promise  to  the  victorious 
one  by  tliis  s]tecial  and  solemn  call  to  attention  in  the  same  words 
essentially  Avhich  so  ©ften  fell  from  the  lips  of  our  Lord  {e.  j., 
Mat.  11:  15,  and  13:  *J,  43,  etc.)  In  the  form  here  used  they 
were  reminded  that   the  words   he  sent   them  were  said   by  the 

divine  Spirit— God's  own  voice  of  warning  and  of  promise. As 

said  in  the  Introduction,  the  promise  to  the  conquering  one  is  in 
this  case  taken  from  the  closing  chapters  of  the  book — the  priv- 
ilege of  eating  from  the  tree  of  life  along  the  banks  of  the  river  of 
heaven.  That  marvelous  wealth  of  promise  which  the  glorious 
symbolism  of  this  book  has  made  availa1)le  is  here  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  Christian  life  of  the  church  of  Ephesus  to  tide  them  over 
the  breakers  that  lay  before  them.  O,  what  blessings  are  these 
for  the  conquerors !  • 

SMYRNA. 

8.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write  ; 
These  things  sailh  the  first  and  tlie  last,  which  was  dead, 
and  is  alive  ; 

!).  I  know  thy  works,  and  tribulation,,  and  poverty,  (l)ut 
thou  art  rich)  and  /  know  the  blasphemy  of  them  which 
say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue  of 
Satan. 

10.  Fear  none  of  tliose  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer  : 
behold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into  prison,  that 
ye  may  be  tried  ;  and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days : 
be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown 
of  life. 

The  descriptive  points  of  the  speaker  are  taken  from  1:  8,  17, 

18. Remarkably  the   tone  of  this   message   is   commendatory 

without  exception.  Jesus  seems  to  say  with  free  and  joyous  heart 
— I  know  all  thy  fidelity  and  endurance  for  my  sake;  I  know  thy 
poverty  as  to  the  wealth  of  this  world — but  thou  art  rich  in  faith 
and  in  grace,  the  best  of  all  riches.  I  know  too  the  opposition  and 
persecution  against  thee  endured  already  and  yet  to  be  endured — 

but  it  shall  be  short. It  is   possible  that  the  Jews  spoken  of 

here  made  no  profession  of  being  Christians,  but  probable  that 
they  were  the  Judaizcrs  who  were  so  prominent  in  that  age. 
Their  claim  to  be  Jews,  1  take,  not  in  the  sense  of  being  lineal 
descendants  of  Abraham,  but  of  being  true  worshipers  of  (!od, 
praisers  of  his  name  after  the  etymology  of  the  word  Judah — 
h"om  which  the  name  "Jew"  came — (Cen.  29:  35  and  49:  8). 
Professing  to  be  the  people  of  God  above  all  others,  they  were  really 
doing   only  the   work  of  Satan ;  bigoted   and   self-conceited  were 


70  KEVELATION.— CHAP.  II. 

they,  but  so  far  from  being  praisers  of  God,  tlicy  were  bins- 
phemers :  so  far  from  being  a  synagogue  of  his  worshipers,  they 

were  only  a  "s^'nagogue  of  8atan." These  facts  go  far  to  prove 

that  the  corrupt  Judaism  of  the  early  and  mid-apostolic  age -was 
still  rife  and  earnest,  and  consequently  that  the  crushing  blow 
given  it  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  ."Wid  the  consequent  dis- 
persion of  the  Jews  and  prostration  of  their  influence,  had  not  yet 

fallen. Observe  that  their  persecutions  are  traced  to  the  devil  as 

their  cause  and  author.  It  was  well  to  show  the  churches  where 
the  root  and  mainspring  of  these  persecutions  lay.  They  would 
then  understand  V)etter  the  nature  of  the  fight  in  which  they  were 
parties  and  sufferers,  and  in  which  Jesus  was  to  be  their  Almighty 
Savior   and    Deliverer — the   grand    antagonist  of   Satan;    sure  to 

conquer  in  the  end. •"  l?e  thou  faithful  unto  death,"  seenft  to 

mean,  not  merely  as  long  as  you  may  live,  till  your  life-power  is 
exhausted  and  you  fall  asleep  in  your  quiet  bed;  but  rather,  even 
to  a  martyr's  death  quail  not,  shrink  not;  face  the  rack  or  the 
flame  till  your  soul  is  forced  from  its  bodily  mansion.  Then  I 
will  give  thee  a  crown  of  immortal  life. 

11.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches  ;  He  that  overcometh  shall  not  be 
hurt  of  the  second  death. 

The  conquering  one  has  the  promise  (taken  up  from  20 :  14,  and 
21:  8)  that  he  "shall  never  be  hurt  by  that  fearful  second 
death."  The  first  death  may  come  upon  him  in  forms  of  violence 
and  torture,  but  of  the  woes  of  the  second  death  he  shall  know 
nothing.  Let  this  inspire  his  soul  to  endure  ;  let  ^his  be  his  con- 
solation ! Of  all  these  seven  ancient  cities,  Smyrna  alone  re- 
mains great,  of  undiminished  population  and  trade,  though  the 
glory  of  its  architecture  and  the  magnificence  of  its  civilization 
have  mostly  passed  away.  Its  population  is  estimated  at  100,000. 
A  fine  harbor  and  a  fertile  inland  country  secure  for  it  an  ex- 
tensive commerce.  It  is  remarkable  that  precisely  the  one  city  in 
which  the  church  was  then  poor  in  wealth  but  rich  in  faith  and 
against  which  the  Savior  brings  no  censure,  should  be  the  one 
alone  of  all  to  survive  the  desolations  of  ages. 


12.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamos  write  ; 
These  things  saith  he  which  hath,  the  sharp  sword  Avith  two 
edges ; 

The  descriptive  point  which  in  this  case  designates  the  speaker 
is  taken  from  1 :  16 — the  sword  going  forth  from  his  mouth,  sharp, 
double-edged — for  his  words  were  with  power;  a  symbol  fearfully 
pertinent  in  this  case  because   there  were  many  things  in  thii* 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  II.  71 

cliurcli  to  condemn  and  Ijut  too  much  occasion  for  using  tliia 
iearful  sword  ! 

13.  I  know  thy  works,  and  where  tliou  dwellest,  even 
where  Satan's  seat  U :  and  thou  hohlest  iast  my  name,  and 
hast  not  denied  my  faith,  even  in  those  days  wherein  An- 
tipas  tvas  my  faitliful  martyr,  who  was  shiiu  among  you, 
where  Satan  dwelleth. 

I  can  appreciate  thy  works  of  true  allegiance  and  firm  endur- 
ance for  my  name  in  the  Hght  of  all  those  stern  surroundings — 
thy  city  the  place  of  Satan's  throne  wlioro  ho  instigated  his 
minions  to  murder  my  faithful  Anti|ias.  That  when  this  nuhle 
maptyr  fell,  the  brethren  of  Fergamos  did  nut  deny  the  name  of 
Jesus  was  to  their  honor.     He  will  not  forget  it. 

14.  But  I  liave  a  few  things  against  thee,  because  thou 
hast  there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Bahmm,  who 
tiiught  Bahik  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  children 
of  Israel,  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  commit 
fornication. 

"A  few  things  against  thee,"  must  not  be  omitted.  Here  were 
some  of  those  pernicious  teachers  whose  errors  were  a  close  imi- 
tation of  that  foul  policy  of  Balaam  Avho  taught  I3alak  the  shortest 
way  to  ruin  a  people  in  covenant  with  God,  viz.,  to  seduce  them 

into  idolatry  and  fornication. This  historic  allusion  to  Balaam 

will  be  readily  understood  by  comparing  Num.  25,  with  31:  IG, 
the  foi'mer  passage  giving  the  facts  of  shameful  lewdness  between 
Israel  and  Moab ;  and  the  latter  ascribing  this  lewdness  to  the 
counsel  given  by  Balaam  to  tlie  king  of  Moab.  See  also  2  I'eter 
2:  15,  16. These  temptations,  bearing  upon  cAnverts  from  life- 
long heathenism,  must  have  been  fearfully  seductive.  The  eating 
of  things  offered  in  sacrilice  to  idols  would  naturally  be  the  stepping- 
stone  back  to  idol  worship,  as  it  was  also  the  crucial  tost  of  con- 
formity to  the  idolatrous  spirit  of  the  age.  It  would  lead  to 
mingling  socially  in  the  scenes  of  idol  worship,  and  being  con- 
nected with  shameless  fornication  would  naturally  plunge  them 
into  the  very  depths  of  heathen  abominations.  No  wonder  Jesus 
should  "  have  a  few  things  against  them  "  if  they  could  tolerate 
in  their  communion  such  doctrine  and  such  practice  for  a  single 
huur. 

15.  So  hast  thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the 
Nicolaitaus,  which  thing  I  hate. 

The  approved  reading  has  in  the  last  clause  in  like  manner 
[ufioiu-l  instead  of  "which  things  I  hate."  Thus  we  have  two 
(rreek  words  in  this  verse  (the  lirstand  the  last)  which  indicate  tlio 
Btrong  similarity  in  some  respect  between  the  Nicolaitaus  and  tho 


72  REVELATION.— CHAP.  11. 

BaLiamitca.  "So"  [wrwr] — a  tiling  involving  like  guilt — "thou 
hast  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitans  in  the 
same  vianncr" — which  naturally  means,  with  the  same  results  of 
shameless  licentiousness  and  practical  idolatry.  The  precise  thing 
said  is  not  that  the  two  doctrines  were  the  same,  but  that  they 
were  held  similarly — which  seems  to  mean  with  like  guilt  in  the 
church  that  permits  it,  and  with  the  same  horrible  fruits  of  moral 

corruption. This  gives  us   the   most  reliable  clue  wo  have  to 

the  real  doctrine  which  bore  the  name  of  the  Nicolaitans,  (see  v. 
6).  Since  it  was  a  "  doctrine"  something  studiously  taught,  yet 
plunging  its  followers  deep  into  the  pollutions  of  idolatry,  it  could 
not  fail  to  call  for  the  sternest  reprobation. 

IG.  Repent;  or  else  I  Avill  come  unto  tliee  quickly,  and 
will  fight  against  them  witli  the  sword  of  my  mouth. 

The  judgment  threatened  against  those  who  will  not  repent 
takes  its  form  from  the  point  made  in  the  description  of  the  au- 
gust Speaker — a  sword  proceeding  from  his  mouth!  words  that 
will  surely  do  execution ! 

17»  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches ;  To  him  that  overcometh  w'ill  I 
give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white 
stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man 
knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it. 

To  the  victor  in  this  stern  Christian  conflict,  Jesus  will  give  first 
"  the  hidden  manna."  This  should  carry  our  thought  to  the  use 
made  of  the  manna  of  tlie  wilderness  by  Jesus  as  given  by  John 
in  his  gospel  (G  :  31-58),  and  aObrds  incidental  proof  that  the 
same  John  wrote  both  the  "Kevclation"  and  the  gospel.  The 
sense  seems  to  be,  the  "bread  of  life" — the  counterpart  to  the 
water  of  life  as  in  Rev.  22 :  1 — and  itself  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of 
life. He  will  also  give  him  "a  white  stone,"  significant  of  ac- 
quittal, as  black  was  of  condemnation.  Also  "a  new  name"  upon 
it,  known  only  to  the  receiver.  This  seems  to  be  put  in  contrast 
with  confessing  his  name  before  the  angels  (Luke  12:  8),  and 
naturally  refers  to  those  personal  testimonies  of  his  approval 
which  are  currently  known  as  "the  witness  of  the  Spirit" — which 
when  real  are  the  pledge  and  earnest  of  acceptance  before  Christ 

at  the  last  day. Further,  the  preciousness  of  this  "new  name" 

is  set  forth  vividly  by  its  application  to  the  Great  Conqueror  him- 
self (19:  12).     Compare  also  3:  12. "And  they  shall  be  mine, 

saith  the  Lord,  in  the  day  when  I  make  up  my  jewels  "  (Mai.  3  : 
]  7). A  somewhat  diflerent  view  of  the  source  whence  the  sym- 
bols of  this  verse  are  taken  may  be  suggested.  It  supposes  that 
looking  rather  into  the  Old  Testament  than  the  New,  John  had 
his  eye  on  the  manna  that  was  really  hidden  in  the  sacred  ark  of 
the  covenant  in  the  most  holy  place,  whence  his  thought  passes  to 


REVELATION- -CHAP  II.  73 

the  sacred  tiame  worn  on  the  breastplate  of  the  high  priest  when 
he  entered  that  holy  place  once  a  year — a  name  of  which  no  Jew 
was  supposed  to  know  the  signilicance.  But  the  name  of  Jesua 
now  tixkes  the  place  once  held  by  that  incommunicable  name,  and 
this  name  becomes  the  badge  and  the  glory  of  all  his   accepted 

people. The  resulting  sense  is  not  essentially  modified  by  these 

minor  qucstii)ns  as  to  the  source  and  explication  of  the  figures 
employed — a  fortunate  circumstance  in  this  case,  because  these 
questions  are  by  no  means  easy  to  decide — perhaps  1  should  say, 
noam  scarcely  capable  of  very  decisive  solution. 


TIIYATIKA. 

18.  And  unto  the  :ingcl  of  the  cliureh  in  Thyatira  write; 
These  things  saitli  the  Son  of  God,  who  liath  his  eyes  like 
unto  a  flame  of  tire,  and  his  feet  are  like  fine  brass ; 

A  village  of  one  thousand  people  marks  th«  site  of  the  ancient 
Tlij-atinx,     The   Lydia  Avhom   Paul  met  at  Philippi,   and   whose 

heart  the   Lord  opened,  was   from  this  city. The  descriptive 

points  which  designate  the  Author  of  this  message  set  forth  his 
searching  of  the  heart — eyes  before  which  no  wickedness  can 
stand,  and  no  disguises  can  hide  the  guilty!  "His  feet  as  fine 
brass"  betoken  strength  and  majesty  in  his  going  forth. 

19.  I  know  thy  works,  and  charity,  and  service,  and 
fmth,  and  thy  patience,  and  thy  works ;  and  the  last  to  be 
more  than  the  ^vat. 

As  usual  Jcsns  commends  whatever  is  commendable.  The  list 
of  good  qualities  here  is  long  and  interesting,  especially  the  fact 
(last  named)  of  progress — unlike  Kphcsus,  where  the  brethren  had 
been  fixlling  back.  Here  they  had  been  moving  forward — their 
last  works  more  and  better  than  their  first.  Clearly  this  proves 
two  points:  (1.)  That  such  progress  in  the  Christian  life  and  in 
Ciiristian  work  is  practicable;'  (2.)  That  Jesus  warmly  approves 
it.     Let  us  make  practical  note  of  both  these  points. 

20.  Notwithstanding  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee, 
because  thou  sufferest  that  woman  Jezebel,  which  calleth 
herself  a  prophetess,  to  teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to 
commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idol.-<. 

The  weight  of  ancient  textual  autliority  and  of  critical  opinion 
makes  the  text,  not  "  that  woman,"  but  i/iy  ivife.  This  raises  tiie 
question,  W/iose  wife?  That  of  the  messenger  ("angel")  of  this 
church,  or  of  the  church  itself?  The  latter  would  be  an  unnatural 
figure  and  therefore  improbable.  Hence  I  prefer  the  former,  and 
assume  that  she  was  tlie  wife  of  the  person  to  whom  the  letter  was 

4 


74  EEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  11. 

addressed  and  by  wliom  it  was  sent  to  tlic  church.  I  take  "  Jez- 
ebel "  to  be,  not  her  original  proper  name,  but  a  name  of  historic 
signiQcance.  She  was  a  second  Jezebel.  'J'hc  reader  will  recall 
the  scriptural  record  of  tliis  paragon  of  wickedness  and  also  of 
resolution,  will,  policy  and  seductive  power  (1  Kings  16:  30-o3,  and 
21,  and  2  Kings  9  :  30-37).  Herself  the  daughter  of  Ethbaal, 
king  of  the  Zidonians,  bred  an  idolater  and  trained  to  l.iear  sway, 
slie  brought  into  Israel  an  enormous  power  fur  evil,  sweeping  both 
Ahab  and  his  people  fearfully  away  from  the  ancient  worsliip  of 

Jehovah  into  the  gross  idolatry  of  her  native  country. Like  her 

this  second  Jezebel,  pretending  to  bo  a  prophetess  and  espousing 
the  doctrines  and  practices  against  which  the  first  Christian  Coun- 
cil (Acts  15  :  20,  29)  admonished  Gentile  converts,  she  migiitily 
seduced  the  servants  of  Christ  into  fornication  and  the  eating  of 
things  sacrificed  to  idols.  Tliese  two  practices  are  manifestly  as- 
sociated together.     See  notes  on  v.  14. 

21.  And  I  gave  her  space  to  repent  of  lier  fornicatiou  ; 
and  she  repented  not. 

On  the  question  whether  this  "fornication"  Avcre  literal,  or  only 
the  spiritual  idea  of  idol  worship,  1  hold  the  former  view  for  three 
main  reasons:  (1.)  This  is  the  most  obvious  sense;  (2.)  It  is  every- 
where distinguished  from  eating  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  which 
itself  was  one  form  of  idol  worship;  (3.)  Historically  it  is  well 
known  that  idol  worship  was  associated  with  lewdness  in  its  basest, 

most  shameless  forms. The  Lord  gave  this  woman  Jezebel  some 

forewarniugs  of  his  judgments  upon  her.  and  admonished  her  to 
repent  of  these  great  crimes,  and  also  gave  her  space  for  such  re- 
pentance, but  in  vain. 

22.  Behold,  I  will  east  her  into  a,  bed,  and  them  tliat 
commit  adultery  Avith  her  into  great  tribuhition,  except  they 
repent  of  their  deeds. 

Here  also  the  literal  and  most  obvious  sense  is  to  be  accepted. 
"I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed"  should  mean,  I  will  bring  upon  her 
some  terrible  disease — and  the  store-house  of  God's  retributions 
has  never  lacked  such  agencies  of  prostration,  suffering,  loathsome 
rottenness  and  a  death  of  horrors.  Eemarkably  the  judgment 
came  (as  often)  so  in  the  line  of  the  sin  as  perpetually  to  remind 
both  herself  and  all  who  knew  her  whose  hand   sent  this  plague 

upon  her,  and  ivhy. Her   guilty  partners  in  this  crime  could 

nut  escape  great  tribulation. 

23.  And  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death;  and  all  the 
churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he  which  searclieth  the  reins 
and  hearts:  and  I  will  give  unto  every  one  of  you  according 
to  your  works. 


EEVELATION.-CJIAP.  II.  7n 

"Death"  in  such  a  connoction  means  pestilence,  mortal  disease. 
Her  sins  go  down  witli  their  heritage  of  curses  upon  her  children; 
not  only  by  a  physical  law  from  whose  influence  lew  if  any  escape, 
but  by  the  righteous,  moral  retribution  of  the  great  moral  (Jovernor 
of  the  world.  Such  cases  arc  not  strictly  retributive  venj:;eance  as 
to  the  children  for  their  lascivious  mother's  crimes.  As  to  the 
mother,  they  arc  retribution;  as  to  the  children,  only  calamity 
and  perhaps  discipline.  In  the  proper  sense  of  punishment,  God 
will  punish  such  children  only  for  their  own  sins.     Hee  Ezek.  18, 

and  my  notes  on  tliat  chapter. All   the   churches   shall  know 

that  I  search  the  heart  and  that  1  will  i^ive  to  every  one  accordini:; 
to  his  works.  My  judiinents  on  Jezeijel  will  forciljl}'^  illustrate 
these  great  elements  of  my  character  and  of  my  righteous,  moral 
government. 

2-1:.  But  unto  yon  I  .«ay,  and  unto  the  rest  in  Thjatira,  a.s 
many  as  have  not  thi.s  doctrine,  and  which  liave  not  known 
the  depths  of  Satan,  as  they  speak  ;  I  will  put  upon  you 
none  other  burden. 

25.  But  that  which  ye  have  alreadij,  hold  fast  till  I 
.come. 

There  were  some  in  this  church  as  yet  uncontaminateil.  To 
them  these  verses  pertain.- Kcmarkably  this  delusion  and  abom- 
ination appear  here  as  a  "doctrine"  as  well  as  a  practice.  On 
what  grounds  the  doctrine  rested,  by  what  fallacies  and  lies  it  was 
supported,  it  might  gratify  our  curiosity  to  know.  As  the  case  is, 
we  only  know  that  "the  father  of  lies"  never  Licked  sophistry 
and  show  of  argument  to  give  some  plausibility  to  the  most  abom- 
inably wicked  practices,  and  we  must  satisfy  ourselves  with  the 
general  fact  without  the  specific  illustration  which  this  one  case 

might    add    to    other   thousands    already    extant. "Have    not 

known"  by  experience  "the  depths  of  Satan,  as  men  call  them" — 
implying  that  those  abominations  of  lewdness  and  idcd  worship 
went  down  to  a  depth  of  moral  pollution  below  which  Satan  him- 
self could  not  well  sink — so  deep  that  they  could  not  be  slandered 

by  calling  them  "the  depths  of  Satan." "I  will  put  upon  you 

none  other  burden,"  i.  e.,  no  extra  trial  or  calamity  because  o/ the 
crimes  of  Jezebel  and  of  her  paramours — no  other  than  you  have 
had  already.  Whatever  Christian  stability  you  have,  retain  it 
firmly  till  1  come. 

26.  And  he  that  overcomcth,  and  keepetli  my  works  unto 
the  end,  to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations: 

27.  And  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  .as  the 
vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers :  even  aa 
I  received  of  my  Father. 

28.  And  I  will  give  him  the  moruino;  star. 


76  KEVELATION.— CHAP.  III. 

29.  lie  tliat  hatli  an  car,  let  him  hear  Avluit  the  Spirit 
Baith  unto  the  churjches. 

Here  the  reward  to  the  victor  in  this  conflict  is  not  (like  those 
that  precede  it)  taken  directly  from  the  closing  chapters  of  this 
liook,  but  from  Ps.  2,  where  its  primary  reference  is  to  the  Mes- 
siah.  The  appropriate  comment  on  this  sublimely  magnificent 

promise  is  in  my  view  best  made  in  those  other  words  of  John : 
"It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be"  (1  Eps.  3  :  2).  "What 
more  can  we  say  of  this  promised  "power  over  the  nations;"  of 
this  "ruling  them  with  a  rod  of  iron;"  of  this  Avielding  a  power 
of  such  sort  (in  some  unknown  respect  such)  as  Jesus  has  received 
from  his  Father?  If  this  power  be  like  the  providential  rule  of 
the  Messiah  over  the  nations,  I  have  no  wisdom  as  yet  for  the  an- 
swer of  these  questions :  1  do  not  find  any  revelation  that  answers 

them. "1  will  give  him  the  morning  star"  must  be  put  in  the 

same  category.  In  Kev.  22  :  16  Jesus  pertinently  says  this  of  him- 
self: "I  am  the  bright  and  morning  star."  We  accept  this  sub- 
lime imagery  as  most  pertinent  when  applied  to  Ilim :  of  its  appli- 
cation to  his  victorious  human  servants,  what  can  we  say?  The 
answer  lies  among  the  unrevealed  mysteries  of  infinite  grace. 


oi®<o 


.     CHAPTER    III. 

Tiiree  letters  to  as  many  churches  make  up  this  chapter; — to 
Sardis  (l-O);   to  Philadelphia  (7-13);  to  Laodicea  (l-lr-22). 


1.  And  uuto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Savdis  write  ; 
These  things  saith  he  that  hath  the  seven  Spirits  of  God, 
and  the  seven  stars  ;  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  hast  a 
name  that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead. 

Sardis,  renowned  in  the  age  of  Cyrus  and  of  the  fiill  of  Babylon, 
the  capital  of  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Lydia,  the  home  of  Croesus, 
but  now  an  utter  desolation,  impresses  the  modern  traveler  with 
a  sense  of  the  retributions  of  divine  justice  that  the  church  nearest 
dead  spiritually  of  the  seven  should  be  before  us  to-day  conspic- 
uous only  for  its  sad  and  silent  ruins ! For  "  the  seven  Spirits 

of  God,"  see  notes  on  1 :  4.  It  was  every  way  pertinent  that  Jesus 
should  present  himself  before  this  church  in  his  exalted  perogative 
and  of&ce  of  sending  forth  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  subordinate 
agents  also  (the  "  seven  stars "  being  the  angels  of  the  seven 
churches,  1:  20)  are  his  servants. The  fearfully  solemn  and 


REVELATION— CIIAr.  III.  77 

speeiixlly  si^'iiificant  declaration — "  I  know  thy  works,"  means  here 
— 1  know  how  unsubstantial,  deceptive,  hypocritical,  thy  religion 
is.  'riiy  spiritual  life  is  but  a  name  :  in  reality,  as  to  most  oF  thy 
nominal  members,  thou  art  only  dead.  The  name  they  have  before 
the  world  stands  for  the  external  only:  the  inward  vital  elements 
arc  mostly  wanting.     At  the  heart,  death  reigns. 

2.  Be  watchful,  and  strcnfrtheu  the  things  wliicli  remain, 
that  arc  ready  to  die  :  for  I  have  not  found  thy  works  per- 
fect before  God. 

Some  languishing  graces  still  retained  a  perceptible  vitality. 
Christ  exliorts  them  to  give  most  watchful  attention  to  the  nour 
ishing  and  invigoration  of  these  lest  absolute  death  supervene  and 

nothing  be  left  but  a  mass  of  spiritual  corruption. The  form  of 

expression — "  I  have  not  found  thy  works  perfect  before  (Jod,"  is 
common  in  Hebrew  in  the  sense — I  have  found  them  fearfully  far 
from  being  perfect — really  the  very  opposite  of  perfect  before  (xod. 
The  closing  thought,  "  before  God,"  suggests  that  their  standard  of 
judging  of  their  own  piety  had  quite  omitted  this  element — God's 
view  of  it—  a  fatal  omission  ! 

o.  Ixcniember  therefore  how  thou  hast  received  and 
heard,  and  hokl  fast,  and  repent.  If  therefore  tliou  shalt 
not  Avatch,  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief,  and  thou  slialt 
not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee. 

''How  thou  hast  received  and  heard"  the  gospel;  how  it  came 
to  thee  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power ;  how  in  those 
lirst  experiences,  the  Holy  (Jhost  wrought  with  power  on  some 
hearts  and  brought  forth  some  fruits  of  true  holiness.  Kecall  those 
first  experiences ;  hold  fast  whatever  of  them  may  yet  remain,  and 
repent ;  return  to  that  first  life  and  first  love.  Else  I  will  come 
upon  thee  suddenly,  as  the  thief  comes  by  night  with  no  forewarn- 
ing. Their  case  was  so  bad,  so  ofleusive  to  God,  there  could  be 
only  the  shortest  delay  of  judgment — only  the  forbearance  of  one 
brief  hour. 

4.  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis  which  have 
not  defiled  their  garments ;  and  they  shall  walk  with  me 
in  white  :  for  they  are  worthy. 

"Even  in  Sardis,"  conceives  of  their  church  and  city  as  being 
notoriously  corrupt.  ICven  there,  amid  such  almost  universal 
wickedness  and  moral  pollution,  a  few,  counted  by  individuals 
only,  were  yet  undefilcd.  Kemarkably  they  had  lived  in  a  place 
so  filthy  morally  and  their  garments  were  yet  unsoiled.     What  can 

not  the  grace  of  (Jlod  do? The   closing  promise  takes  its  cast 

from  this  description  of  their  character.  They  shall  walk  with 
mo    in  white— those  men  who   have  withstood  such  temptations, 


78  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  III. 

who  have  kept  their  garments  without  stain  amid  such  surround 
in,2;s — verily  they  are  worthy  to  Avalk  in  white  Avith  their  risen  and 
glorified  Kedeemer ! 

5.  He  that  overcoraeth,  the  i?ame  shall  be  clothed  in 
■white  raiment ;  and  I  will  not  blot  out  his  name  out  of 
the  book  of  life,  but  I  Avill  confess  his  name  before  my 
Father,  and  before  his  angels. 

6.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches. 

Closing  the  letter  in  the  usual  form,  viz.,  the  reward  promised 
to  "him  that  overcoraeth,''  the  drapery  of  the  promise  remains 
unchanged — "shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment"  (see  19:  8). 
"The  book  of  life"  may  be  studied  in  20:  12,  15,  and  21:  27, 
and  13:  8.  The  last  words  come  from  the  promise  of  Christ  as 
recorded  by  Luke  (12  :  8);  "  Him  shall  the  iSon  of  man  also  con- 
fess before  the  angels  of  God." 

PHILADELPHIA. 

7.  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  write ; 
These  things  saith  he  that  is  holy,  he  that  is  true,  he  that 
hath  the  key  of  David,  he  that  openeth,  and  no  man 
shutteth ;  and  shutteth,  and  no  man  openeth  ; 

This,  of  old  the  second  city  of  Lydia,  is  still  respectable  among 
the  inland  cities  of  Asia  Minor,  said  to  have  three  thousand  houses. 

The  tone  of  this   epistle  differs   widely  from  either  the  one 

that  nest  precedes   or  the  one   that  follows  it,  for  here  the  Lord 

found  much  to  commend. Among  the  descriptive  points  named 

by  the  Lord  Jesus  in  this  letter,  the  words  "  the  holy  "  refer  rather 
to  what  is  assumed  throughout  chap.  1  than  to  any  one  expression. 

Every  feature  given  there  involves  perfect  holiness. "  He  that 

is  true"  reminds  us  that  this  writer  is  the  same  John  who  wrote 
the  gospel  (14:  6,  and  17:  3),  and  also  the  Epistle  (5:  20);  while 
"  the  key  of  David  "  can  be  nothing  other  or  less  than  the  regal  power 
of  the  great  Son  of  David  which  in  Eev.  1  :  18  is  expressed  in  the 
phrase,  "  I  have  the  kej's  of  Hell  and  of  Death  ;  "  meaning,  I  am 
the  Arbiter  of  all  the  future  destinies  of  men,  having  power  to 
open  and  to  shut  the  realm  of  the  dead  to  Avhom  I  will,  Death 
being  only  my  servant,  and  my  power  being  supreme.  The  cor- 
rected text,  following  the  oldest  authorities,  gives  the  phrase  thus: 
"  I  open,  and  no  one  loill  shut :  1  shut,  and  no  one  ivill  open." 

8.  I  know  thy  works  :  behold,  I  have  set  before  thee  an 
open  door,  and  no  man  can  shut  it:  for  thou  hast  a  little 
strength,  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  nut  denied  my 
name. 


EEVELATIOK— CHAP.  III.  79 

As  to  the  form  of  expression,  this  "open  door"  follows  the  pre- 
ceding verse:  "1  huve  the  key  of  David,  opening  («.  c,  the  door) 
and  none  will  shut,"  etc.  ]>ut  still  the  question  remains,  does 
the  language  in  this  verse  contemplate  an  open  door  for  Christian 
.abor  iu  this  life,  or  an  open  door  of  entrance  upon  the  better  life 
to  come  ?  The  language  admits  of  either  construction.  It  may 
be  said  that  the  preceding  context  favors  its  reference  to  the  future 
world — the  following  context,  to  the  present.  1  incline  to  accept 
the  lead  of  the  following  context  and  assume  its  reference  to  an 
open  fielil  for  Christian  labor  and  usefulness,  with  however  the 
implied  idea  (hat  for  those  who  work  faithfully  for  Christ  here, 
entering  into  the  doors  he  opens  and  toiling  in  true  fidelity  till  ho 
calls  them  away,  the  other  door  will  be  opened  for  an  ^abundant 
entrance  into  his  everlasting  kingdom,  lie  who  has  power  to  open 
heaven  and  hell  can  also  control  all  the  present  agencies  of  provi- 
dence and  can  open  doors  for  Christian  work  before  all  his  true 
servants.     Therefore  let  such  servants  rejoice  in  all  their  toil  and 

labors,  for  their  reward  is  sure. "  Kept  my  word,"  I  take   to 

include  1)oth  preserving  it  in  its  purity  and  obeying  it  in  honest 
sincerity  and  faithfulness.  Error  and  vice  were  in  those  days  (as 
often)  sustained  as  a  doctrine;  hence  the  pertinence  of  the  com- 
mendation, "kept  my  word." 

0.  Behold,  I  will  make  tliem  of  the  s^'iiagogue  of  Rufaii, 
which  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  do  lie  ;  behold, 
I  will  make  them  to  come  and  worship  before  thy  feet,  and 
to  know  that  I  have  loved  thee. 

Here  are  the  same  pernicious  teachers  whom  we  saw  (2 :  9)  in 
Smyrna,  making  unbcmnded  pretensions  to  be  first  and  best  among 
the  worshipers  of  (lod,  but  being  in  truth  only  a  "  synagogue  of 

Satan." Their  presence   in   so  many  of  these  seven  clun-ches 

testifies  that  when  these  letters  to  the  seven  churches  and  this 
book  of  Jvevelation  were  written,  this  form  of  heresy,  this  antag- 
onism between  Judaism  and  Christianity,  was  still  in  its  strengtii, 
and   conseciucntl}',  bej'ond   all   reasonable   doubt,  that  Jerusalem 

liad  not  yet  fallen. Our  passage  declares  that  (iod  would  give 

his  faithful  servants  in  this  city  such  tokens  of  his  presence  and 
such  demonstrations  of  his  power  and  love  as  should  bring  these 
proud  and  false  Jews  low  at  their  feet,  to  acknowledge  his  favor 
to  them.  This  teaching  pledges  to  all  CJod's  fiiithful  servants  in 
every  age  that  he  will  appear  in  their  behalf  to  give  them  signid 
success  and  ultimate  honor — will  "show  that  he  has  loved  them." 

10.  Becanse  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my  patience, 
I  al.-<o  Avill  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation,  which 
shall  come  upon  all  the  world,  to  try  them  that  dwell 
upon  the  earth. 


60  EEVELATION.-CriAP.  III. 

"  Kept  the  word  "  should  have  the  same  meaning  here  as  In  v. 
8.  " 'J'he  word  of  my  patience"  must  mean  my  injunction  to 
stand  fast  even  at  the  cost  of  suffering  affliction.  "  Patience  "  has 
the  old  sense  of  suffering,  and  refers  here  to  the  pre-intimations 
which  Christ  had  often  given  tliat  his  faithful  servants  must  en- 
counter suffering  for  his  name.  "  They  -will  cast  you  out  of  the 
synagogue;  yea,  the  time  cometh  that  whosoever  killeth  you  will 
think  tliat  he  doeth  God  service"  (John  16:  2).  "  Yea^  all  that 
will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution"  (2  Tim. 

3:  12). "1  will  keep  thee/'  etc.,  plays  upon  the  twofold  sense  of 

the  word  "keep."  Because  they  had  kept  his  word  in  the  sense 
of  a  sacred  treasure  to  be  preserved  in  its  purity  and  a  rule  of 
life  to  be  obeyed  with  unflinching  and  unswerving  fidelity,  there- 
fore Christ  will  keep  them  from  all   the   harm  which  Satan  had 

plotted  to  bring  upon  them. liis  language  implies  that  a  fierce 

and  wide-spread  persecution  was  about  to  come  ujjon  all  the 
churches  for  their  stern  and  searching  trial. 

11.  Behold,  I  come  quickly:  hold  that  fast  which  thou 
hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown. 

"I  come  quickly."  But  this  coming  can  not  be  the  final  one 
for  the  last  judgment,  because  that  coming  was  then  certainly  re- 
mote, and  Jesus  never  indicated  the  time  when  it  should  occur 
(Mark  13  :  32).  For  reasons  more  fully  given  in  my  notes  on 
i  :  7,  it  may  be  supposed  to  refer  somewhat  definitely  to  Christ's 
coming  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  considered  as  the  first  great  perse- 
cuting anti-Christian  povrer,  the  general  thought  being — I  am  about 
to  make  S2>e<;ial  manifestations  of  my  presence  and  power  in  re- 
tributive vengeance  on  the  present  persecutors  of  my  people,  and 

also  for  the  salvation  of  my  faithful  friends. This  coming  will 

be  an  hour  of  crisis  and  of  stern  conflict:  therefore  hold  fast  thy 
profession;  stand  firmly  for  Jesus;  a  few  days  of  terrible  struggle 
— and  then,  if  faithful,  thy  crown  is  made  sure;  but  one  hour's 
apostasy  will  be  at  the  cost  of  thy  crown! 

12.  Him  that  overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out :  and  I 
will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name 
of  the  city  of  my  God,  which  is  new  Jerusalem,  which  com- 
eth down  out  of  heaven  from  my  God  :  and  /  xdll  tvrite 
upon  him  my  new  name. 

13.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
faith  unto  the  churches. 

"A  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God"  is  thoroughly  a  Jewish 
conception,  beautifully  pertinent  hei-c  however  since  it  involves 
the  several  ideas  of  a  permanent  fixture  ;  an  ornamontal  and  es- 
sential  part  of  the  structure;  and  of  a  tablet  upon  which  shall  be 


REVELATION.— CIIAr.  III.  «i 

inscribed  the  name  of  God,  the  naiiic  of  his  heavenly  city,  and 
"  my  now  name  " — that  of  Jesus  the  Conqueror.  The  reader  will 
notice  the  abundant  allusions  to  the  main  features  of  chap.  21 : 
"  The  new  Jerusalem  which  came  down  from  (Jlod  out  of  heaven," 

etc. Of  this  wealth  of  honor  and  fjlory  laid  up  for  the  faithful 

servants  of  Jesus — those  especially  who  stand  tirm  through  the 
scathing  fires  of  persecution,  it  is  Init  little  that  we  can  say  in  de- 
tail, for  "  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be."  That  it  defies 
all  illustration  by  models  of  earthly  splendor;  that  it  will  surpass 
all  our  present  conceptions;  that  it  will  utterly  distance  our  high- 
est imagination — so  much  is  most  abundantly  plain.  Language 
and  symbol  labor  to  set  it  forth,  yet  with  an  apparent  conscious- 
ness of  inability  to  do  it  justice.  Let  him  that  hath  an  ear  hear 
tiiese  words  of  glorious  promise,  and  let  his  soul  be  fired  thereby 
to  unlimited  endurance  of  toil  or  pain  or  shame  for  Jesus. 

• 

LAODICEA. 

14.  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodice:in,s 
write ;  These  things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true 
witness,  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God; 

As  to  these  descriptive  epithets  (taken  substantially  from  1  :  5) 
'  tiio  Amen  "  is  explained  iu  the  clause  that  follows — "  the  faithful 
and  true  Witness,"  i.  e.,  lie  who  came  from  heaven  to  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  truth  of  God,  to  reveal  God  to  man  truthfully,  with  no 
imperfection,  no  admixture  of  error.  Inasmuch  as  one  of  the 
most  solemn  responsibilities  of  his  persecuted  people  was  the  bear- 
ing of  a  faithful  testimony  for  (iod  in  the  face  of  fire  and  death, 
there  was  special  pertinence  in   placing  their  own  living  Christ 

before  them  as  (he  ever  foithful  VV'itness. "  The  beginning  of 

the  creation  of  tJod"  has  been  explained  by  some  to  mean,  the 
IJeing  first  created  by  God,  the  eldest  among  all  created  existences. 
The  fatal  objection  to  this  is  that  it  assumes  Christ  to  have  been 
created,  while  the  scriptures  represent  him  as  the  Uncreated  One, 
eternally  existent,  and  really  the  Creator  of  all  things.  (See  es- 
pecially John  1:  1-3.) Jloreover,  some  take  the  word  "begin- 
ning" in  the  sense  of  the  anlhor  of  existence,  the  First  Cause  of 
beginning  to  be,  to  all  who  are  created.  The  objection  to  this 
lies,  not  against  the  doctrine  it  would  teach,  but  against  such  a 
usage  of  the  word,  this  usage  lacking  adequate  support.  Another 
meaning  may  be  given  to  the  leading  word  by  a  well  established 
usage  and  with  a  result  which  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  uni- 
form tenor  of  the  scriptures,  viz.,  that  of  Prince,  Supreme  Lord. 
In  the  passages  where  this  word  (arche)  has  this  meaning,  our 
English  version  translates  it  by  the  word  "principalities."  (See 
Kpli.  1 :  21,  and  3  :  10,  and  Col.  1:10,  and  2:  10,  and  Horn.  8 :  38.) 
I'liese  cases  show  conclusivelj'  that  the  word  is  applied  to  beii^gs 
;)f  great  power  and  of  high  authority — real  princes.  So  is  Jesus  the 
eu|irciue  I'riuce  of  the  created  universe.     It  was  pertinent  to  say 


B2  EEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  III. 

this  to  the  church  of  Laodicoa  in  precisely  its  circumstances  at 
tiiat  moment.  Tlierc  can  be  no  room  for  doubt  that  thia  la  what 
Jesus  meant  to  say. 

15.  I  know  tliy  workp,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  liot: 
I  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot. 

16.  So  then  because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold 
nor  hot,  I  will  spew  thee  out  of  my  mouth. 

While  water,  either  cold  or  hot,  is  agreeable  to  the  taste  and  not 
ofTensivc  to  the  stomach,  it  is  a  well  known  fact  that  lukewarm 
water  is  distasteful,  offensive,  nauseating.  Upon  this  fact,  the  fig- 
ure before  us  rests.  The  main  point  of  inquiry  in  this  passage  is 
— How  fixr  shall  we  carry  this  tigure:  how  much  shall  we  make  of 
it  ?  Does  heat  in  water  precisely  represent  fervor  of  feeling  in 
religion  so  that  Ave  may  carry  tli£  analogy  entirely  through  and 
infer  from  these  words  (1.)  that  God  loves  the  most  ardent  souls, 
of  the  highest  possible  tone  of  fervid  emotion;  (2.)  that  he  also 
loves  the  other  extreme — the  cold,  frigid  souls — even  as  men  who 
labor  in  the  summer's  heat  love  cold  ice  water;  but  (3.)  that  the 
men  of  medium  temperament,  the  men  not  hot  and  not  cold,  are 
loathsome  to  him  ?  ^V'^hoever  shall  press  the  figure  to  this  extent 
will  find  reason  to  recoil  from  some  of  its  points  as  against  both 
scripture  and  common  sense.  It  is  much  better  not  to  press  a 
figure  of  speech  to  more  service  than  it  was  made  to  perform ;  and 
quite  important  moreover  to  see  the  pi'ccise  point  of  comparison 
between  the  material  iaaage  and  the  spiritual  reality  it  would  il- 
lustrate.  ^Guided  by  the  nature  of  the  figure  and  by  the  context, 

we  reach  this  result,  viz.,  that  the  thing  condemned  is  not  a  me- 
dium tone  of  truly  religious  emotion,  but  is  a^^ro^ic/  self-co7iceit,  a 
self-sufficiency  which  is  real  emptiness  and  vanity — which  sup- 
posing itself  rich,  is  miserably  poor,  etc.  This  sort  of  piety  Jesus 
declares  to  be  loathsome  and  nauseating  to  him,  even  as  lukewarm 
water  is  to  the  human  stomach.  This  is  all.  There  is  no  attempt 
to  run  an  analogy  between  heat  in  water  and  heat  in  religious 
emotion;  there  is  no  purpose  of  pushing  this  analogy  through  and 
making  it  bear  at  all  possible  points,  or  as  the  phrase  is,  "  go  on 
all  fours."  Figures  of  speech  are  too  useful  to  be  so  badly  abused 
as  they  sometimes  are  (shall  we  not  say)  especially  those  found 
in  the  Bible. "I  would  thou  w^ert  cold  or  hot"  may  be  con- 
strued to  mean,  I  would  that  thou  were  any  thing  else  rather 
than  lukewarm.  Nothing  else  can  be  so  loathsome  to  me  as 
Your  vain  self-conceit. 

17.  Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and  increased  with 
goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing ;  and  knowcst  not  that 
thou  art  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind, 
and  naked : 

IS.   I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  gold  tried  in  the  fire, 


REVELATION.— CILVr.  III.  83 

tl)iit  tliou  niayest  be  rich  ;  and  white  raiment,  that  thou 
niaycst  be  clothed,  and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedneps  do 
not  appear;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye-salve,  that  thou 
may  est  see. 

"Rich,"  "  iiKTcasod  witli  p;oo(ls,"  havins;  "need  of  nothing" — 
i«  said  not  of  earthly  Avealth  but  of  spiritual  and  heavenly.  To 
suppose  these  phrases  to  refer  to  the  uiercliant's  "goods" — to  the 
supply  of  our  physical  Avants — would  carry  with  it  the  doctrine 
that  God  counsels  us  to  buy  of  him  "  ftold,"  the  literal  article  ; 
and  "white  raiment" — not  stainless  piety,  but  spotless  cloth — all 

which  is   only   a    iilarinj;;   absurdity  ! The   original  makes  the 

words  for  "  wretched,"  "miserable,"  specially  expressive  by  pre- 
fixing the  article — Knowcst  not  that  thou  art  (he  wretched  one, 
the  miserable  one — above  all  others,  by  special  preeminence.  The 
sentiment  is  plain:  dismiss  this  vain  and  loathsome  seU-conceit; 
anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye-salve  so  that  thou  canst  see  the  things 
that  are — thyself  as  thou  art  seen  by  God's  eye.  Then  having 
emptied  thy  heart  of  this  delusive  self-conceit,  come  to  Jesus  to  be 
f(Ml  and  filled  with  his  bread  of  life;  come  in  thy  conscious  naked- 
ness to  be  clothed  ;  receive  Jesus  in  all  his  proffered  relations — 
tliy  wisdom,  thy  righteousness,  thy  sanctilication,  thy  redemption 
(I  Cor.  1  :  30!,  "all  in  all;  "   so  shall  it  be  well  with  thee. 

19.  As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten  :  be  zealous 
therefore,  aud  repent. 

"It  is  because  T  love  thee  that  I  now  seek  to  put  thy  real  case 
})efore  thine  eyes,  and  shall  proceed  by  discipline  and  chastisement 
to  every  hopeful  eflbrt  to  bring  thee  to  myself  All  whom  1  truly 
love,  1  labor  thus  to  save.  If!  find  them  pufled  with  vain  conceit, 
I  spare  no  rebuke  and  no  chastisement,  if  so  1  may  save  them. 

20.  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and  knock  :  if  any  man 
hear  my  voice,  and  ojoen  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him, 
and  will  sup  Avith  liim,  and  he  with  me. 

If  we  construe  this  verse  in  hai-mony  with  the  preceding  con- 
text, we  shall  get  a  doubly  forcible  and  precious  sense  from  it — 
thus:  Uehold,  1  come  even  to  you  of  Laodicea;  conceited,  proud 
though  many  of  you  are,  yet  1  come  with  my  riches,  my  white 
raiment,  my  cyc-salve;  and  1  knock  at  your  door,  and  there  I  stan<l 
yet  a  while  waiting  for  admittance.  If  any  man  of  you  shall  hear 
my  voice  as  in  the  rebuke  just  now  spoken,  and  shall  open  his 
heart's  door  and  make  me  welcome,  coming  for  such  a  purpose 
and  with  s\ich  love  for  his  soul,  then  I  will  indeed  come  in  unto 
that  man,  and  I  will  sup  Avith  him  and  he  shall  sup  with  me.  A 
least  of  j(ty,  as  when  the  prodigal  returns  and  once  more  sits  down 
with  his  loving  father  in  the  old  and  now  joj'ous  home!  So  much 
Christ  has  said  to  inspire  hope  in  the  darkest  bosom — so  much  to 


84  EEVELATION.-CHAP.  IV. 

press  himsolf  upon  these  conceited  Laodiceans,  that  they  raay  re* 
ceive  all  riches  and  all  joy  from  his  hand. 

21.  To  him  that  (n'ercoraeth  ^vill  I  grant  to  sit  with  me 
in  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down 
•\vith  my  Father  Jn  his  throne. 

22,  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  v;hat  the  Spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches. 

To  the  oyercoming  one,  blessings  of  surpassing  richness  arc 
'[iroraised.  What  more  could  the  Savior  promise  than  this? — ;j 
seat  jointly  shared  with  himself  on  his  own  throne!  "Come  up 
and  sit  with  me  in  the  glory  of  my  kingdom!"  How  can  we  lift 
our  thought  to  measure  the  glory  of  such  a  promise?  AVhat  shall 
we  think  of  the  love  and  of  the  longing  to  save  that  yyrompted  it  ? 
W!iat  of  the  guilt  involved  in  treating  it  with  cold  indifference,  or 
worse,  with  stolid  rejection  and  contempt? 

Thus  close  these  wonderful  letters  to  the  seven  churches.  Were  ' 
words  ever  spoken  more  full  of  faithfulness  to  the  souls  of  men ; 
more  fall  of  appreciation  for  all  that  is  praiseworthy;  more  fuH 
of  love  for  all  classes;  more  fraught  with  watchful  and  wise  solic- 
itude for  their  stability  and  endurance  in  the  terrible  conllict 
throngh  which  they  wei-e  so  soon  to  pass? 


CHAPTER   IV. 

It  was  at  once  a  mrat  sublime  and  a  most  rn-actical  feature  in 
the  pi'ophetic  visions  vouchsafed  to  John  in  Patnios  that  so  large 
a  part  of  its  scenes  were  laid  in  heaven  rather  than  on  earth.  The 
stand-point  of  the  seer  was  there,  not  here.  "A  door  was  opened 
in  heaven,"  i.  e.,  a  door  opening  into  heaven;  the  very  door  of 
entrance  to  the  heavenly  world ;  and  the  first  thing  he  heard  was 
that  trumpet-voice  previously  heard  (1:  10),  saying,  "Come  up 
hither;  1  will  show  thee  things  which  are  soon  to  come  to  pass." 
It  was  ineffably  sublime  to  see  from  this  lofty  stand-point  how  the 
events  of  earth  appear — to  see  the  moving  forces  that  work  out 
human  destiny  as  they  emanate  from  the  Great  Central  Power  on 
he  throne  of  the  Universe;  to  see  where  the  lightnings  are  forged, 
and  to  look  into  the  great  magazines  of  fire  and  storm  and  plague 
and  death  from  which  God's  messengers  bi'ing  forth  his  bolts  of 
vengeance  to  hurl  down  upon  the  strongholds  of  his  proud  foes 
on  the  earth  below.  It  reminds  us  of  the  poetic  conceptions  of 
Pagan  mythology  which  constructed  vast  magazines,  where  the 
storm-king  held  the  winds  imprisoned,  but  drew  the  bars  and  let 
the  gates  fly  open  at  his  pleasure,  that  the  blasts  might  rush  forth, 


REVELATION.-CIIAP.  IV.  85 

II ml  the  fierce  winds  howl,  and  the  stricken  mariners  he  at  their 
wit's  end ;  and  yet  other  magazines  for  the  lii^htnin;!,  tlie  hail  and 
the  thunder,  where  the  bolts  were  forged,  and  the  tempests  also, 
that  gather  blackness  and  pour  abroad  their  terrible  desolations. 
Somewhat  such,  only  higher  and  grander  far,  were  the  scenes  laid 
before  the  exile  of  Fatmos  when  this  door  into  heaven  was  opened, 
and  he  was  called  up  tliither  to  see  visions  of  the  great  central 
throne,  and  of  its  august  surroundings;  to  see  whei-e  the  minis- 
tering angels  of  divine  judgments  rticcive  their  commission  ;  to 
witness  the  worship  and  to  listen  to  the  songs  that  ascribe  immor- 
tal honor  to  tlie  great  Creator  and  Lord  of  all,  and  to  Ilim  who 

hath  redeemed  the  saints  of  earth  with  his  own  blood. 'riios(i 

views  of  scenes  in  heaven,  shown  in  their  relations  to  things  on 
earth  in  the  nearer  future,  were  not  oidy  sublime  and  grand,  and 
therefore  most  thrilling,  but  they  Avere  in  their  nature  and  bear- 
ings intensely  practical.  AVc  must  not  forget  that  .John  the  seer  i.s 
an  exile  amid  scenes  of  wild  and  sad  desolation,  and  that  he  wrote 
to  his  companions  in  tribulation,  then  under  the  pressui-e  or  the 
f(;ar  of  deadly  persecution.  Now  it  is  every  thing  to  human  hearts 
throbbing  with  personal  fear  and  quivering  with  solicitude  for  the 
imperiled  cause  of  their  blaster,  to  know  that  there  is  a  most  in- 
tense and  earnest  sympathy  felt  in  their  case  by  all  the  vast  and 
glorious  pf)pu!ations  of  the  heavenly  world,  reaching  to  the  very 

throne  of  the  Almighty. Those  heavenly  scenes  bore  witness 

to  .John  witli  miglity  voice  that  tlterc  were  the  elements  of  poiver — • 
of  power  before  Avliich  the  mightiest  forces  of  Jewish  or  Koman 
persecution  seemed  infinitely  puny  and  insignificant.  It  was  no 
small  thing  for  the  churches  of  Asia  to  see  the  demonstration  of 
this  great  fact  as  these  visions  brought  it  home   to   the  heart  of 

John. But  those  visions  revealed  not  power  only  or  chiefly,  but 

a  wondrous  and  most  tender  sympathj.  All  heaven  seemed  to 
gather  round  the  book  of  human  destiny,  at  first  so  closely  sealcMl 
from  view,  as  if  the  futui-e  of  beings  dear  to  their  heart  Avero 
written  there,  yet  with  unwavering  confidence  that  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah  was  competent  to  open  it  and  read,  and  also  com- 
petent as  well  to  wield  the  power  and  the  wisdom  requisite  to 
bring  forth  results  most  of  all  glorious  and  blessed  for  his  people. 
Tiien  as  the  first  four  of  those  seals  were  successively  liroken,  with 
what  kindness  did  the  four  living  Ones  summon  the  symbolic  horses 
to  the  prophet's  view  with  the  word  of  command — "  Corae  1"  More- 
over it  was  one  of  the  most  thrilling  manifestations  of  Heaven's 
sympathy  with  the  martyrs,  that  on  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal 
John  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of  the  martyred  dead,  and 
heard  their  prayerful  cry  and  also  that  touching  answer  thereto: 
Itest  yet  for  a  little  season;  a  few  more  must  hill  as  ye  have  fallen; 
but  Zion's  King  Avill  surely  conquer  and  Zion's  foes  must  fall!  So 
all  along,  the  angels  go  fi)rth  with  willing  soul  and  tireless  wing 
3n  every  mission,  whether  of  deliverance  to  God's  people  or  of  judg- 
aicnt  on  their  foes.     Every  new  scene  in  heaven  heightens  the  as- 


50  REVELATION.— CHAP.  IV. 

surance  tliat  God's  suffering  people  on  earth  are  remembered  there 

with  tcnderest  solicitude  and  most  yearning  sympathy. Then, 

moreover,  those  open  visions  of  heaven  disclose  the  l)U^sscdness  of 
the  righteous  dead  who  have  entered  into  rest.  You  see  their 
thronging  tliousands;  you  hoar  their  enraptured  songs;  in  phiin- 
ost,  simplest  words  the  voice  from  the  upper  temple  proclaims  them 
"blessed;"  and  as  if  to  crown  all,  the  very  hand  of  the  Inliuite 
Father  himself  Avipcs  every  tear  of  their  eyes  away ! 

Thus  with  admirable,  most  pertinent  and  forcible  adaptation  do 
these  scenes  in  the  opened  heaven  minister  to  the  moral  wants  of 
tlie  persecuted  people  of  (xod  on  earth.  It  was  not  to  amuse  them 
with  splendid  pictures,  and  not  to  kindle  poetic  fire  in  their  imag- 
ination for  the  mere  warmtli  and  joy  thereof  that  this  door  into  the 
world  above  was  sot  open;  but  to  lift  their  thought  above  the  mur- 
derous edicts  of  tyrants,  and  their  souls  above  all  fear  of  prison, 
torture  and  death;  to  inspire  them  with  the  Christian  heroism  of 

faith  and  love  and  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality. Now  coupling 

this  conception  of  an  open  heaven  and  its  wondrous  revelations 
with  that  sublime  manifestation  of  the  human  person  of  Jesus  de- 
picted in  the  first  chapter,  we  can  not  but  admire  the  adaptation 
of  tliese  prophetic  visions  to  the  end  they  had  in  view.  How  im- 
pressive upon  John  and  his  first  readers  must  those  manifestations 
have  "been — first  that  of  Jesus  in  his  glory  in  Patmos;  next  that 
of  the  open  heaven  !  Let  us  not  overlook  the  wonderfully  quick- 
ening power  of  such  views  upon  that  faith  Avhich  makes  unseen 
things  real ;  which  becomes  "  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen," 
aud  which  thus  gives  the  victory  over  the  world  and  all  its 
forces. 

The  chapter  gives  us  the  prophet's  first  introduction  to  the 
scenes  and  personages  of  the  heavenly  world.  In  succession  we 
have  the  opened  door  and  the  voice  calling  him  up  thither  (v.  1); 
the  throne  and  the  appearance  of  him  who  sat  thereon  (vs.  2,  3) ; 
the  twenty-four  seats  and  as  many  elders  sitting  (v.  4) ;  the  sounds 
from  the  throne  and  the  seven  lamps  of  fire  (v.  5) ;  the  four  living 
ones  seen,  described,  and  their  song  of  adoration  (0-8) ;  coinci- 
dent Avith  their  song  is  that  of  the  twenty-four  elders  (vs.9-11). 

1.  After  this  I  looked,  and,  behold,  a  door  %vas  opened 
in  heaven :  aud  the  first  voice  whicli  1  heard-  ivas  as  it 
Avere  of  a  trumpet  talking  w'ith  me ;  which  said,  Come  np 
hither,  and  I  will  shoAV  thee  things  Avhich  must  be  here- 
after. 

"After  this"  [Greek,  "  meta  tanta"],  soon  after,  in  close  con- 
nection with  Avhat  precedes,  as  in  1  :  lU  and  also  in  the  close  of 

this  verse. "A  door  opened  in  heaven"  is  more  precisely  a  door 

through  -which  ■when  opened  one  mjght  look  into  heaven.  He  first 
saw  this  open<^d  door,  and  then  heard  that  trumpet  voice,  desig- 
nated here  as  "  that  first  voice,"  heard  before  (cliap.  I  :   lU),  in- 


JJEVELATION.— CIIAr.  IV.  87 

vitinj;  liiin  to  come  up  and  enter.  He  does  not  mean  the  first 
voice  compared  with  the  many  afterward   heard   in  heaven,  but 

that  one  which  he  heard  first  of  all,  as  in  chapter  1. In  this 

open  heaven  he  was  to  witness  scenes  which  would  reveal  events 
soon  to  occur  on  the  earth. 

2.  And  immeLiiatcly  I  Avas  iu  the  Spirit:  and,  bcliold,  a 
tlirone  was  set  in  heaven,  and  one  sat  on  the  throne. 

3.  And  he  that  sat  was  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper  and 
a  sardine  stone:  and  there  rvas  a  rainbow  round  about  the 
throne,  in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald. 

"I  was  in  the  Spirit" — as  in  this  T)ook  elsewhere  (1  :  10,  ami 
17:  3,  and  21:  10),  always  without  the  Greek  article  and  thero- 
Ibre  not  precisely  in  the  >^pirit,  but  ratlier  in  Spirit — which  moans, 
not  in  the  disembodied  state,  nor  merely  "in  the  Holy  Ghost'''  in 
the  usual  sense  of  Christian  experience  (e.  g.,  Rom.  8:  9,  and 
Kph.  G:  IS,  and  Jude  20),  but  in  a  state  of  spiritual  ecstacy,  in 
s[)ecial  spiritual  relations  to  the  great  agent  of  prophetic  vision. 

"A  throne   set   in   heaven"    imitates  Dan.  7:  9,   where  we 

should  not  translate  "thrones  cast  down"  [overturned],  but 
thrones  firmly  set,  located,  as   a   seat   is  placed   for   a  friend  to 

occupy. One  sat  upon  this  throne  whose  brilliancy  and  glory 

could  be  but  dimly  reiiresented  by  that  of  the  most  precious  stones. 

A  rainliow  encircled  tliis   inefl'ably  glorious   throne. It  is  not 

said  in  definite  words  that  lie  who  sat  upon  this  throne  was  tlie 
Infinite  God;  yet  the  homage  rendered  to  llim  (4:  8-11,  and  5: 
lo),  with  numerous  other  circumstances,  leave  us  in  no  doubt  as 

to  the  fact. We  may  Avell  admire  the  wisdom  that  forbore  to  set 

forth  any /or»i  or  likeness  of  llim  who  sat  on  this  central  throne, 
'riie  genius  and  scope  of  this  heavenly  vision  demanded  that  the 
divine  Father  should  be  visible.  It  was  l)y  an  admirable  precau- 
tion against  materialistic  and  consequently  debasing  views  of  God 
that  the  representation  gives  only  so  much  as  we  find  here — color, 
splendor,  liut  no  f<rrm  which  would  naturally  lead  the  mind  to  a 
material  representation  of  the  infinite  God. 

4.  And  round  about  the  throne  were  fnir  and  tw(>n(y 
seats  :  and  upon  the  .seats  I  saw  four  and  twenty  elders 
sitting,  clothed  iu  white  raiment ;  and  they  had  on  their 
heads  crowns  of  gold. 

Twenty-four  "seats,"  but  in  Greek,  thrones,  yet  of  course  lesser 
and  subordinate   thrones,   compared  witli    the  great   central  one. 

Here  we  are  first  introduceil  to  the  twenty-lour  elders  ("pres- 

luteroi"),  clothed  in  white  and  wearing  crowns  of  gold.  \Vho 
are  they?  What  do  they  represent? Any  thorough  investiga- 
tion of  this  point  nnist  take  into  account  all  the  cases  in  which 
thcv  come  before  us  in  this  l)Ook,  viz.  ,  in  4  :  10,  1 1,  and  5  :  5,  0,  8- 
11, "11, -and  7:11,  l.'MT,  and  11  :   IC.-IS,  and  11:  .".,  and  I'J:  4. 


38  REVELATION.-CirAr.  IV. 

(1.)  Plainly  they  are  not  impersonal  but  persoiial — i.  e.,  they  do 
not  represent  merely  abstract  attriluites  or  qualities  of  some  un- 
known being,  but  they  represent  some  order  of  conscious,  voluntary 
beings;  for  they  offer  intelligent  worship  (4:  10,  11,  and  5:  8-10, 
and  7  :  11,  12,  etc.).  They  manifest  special  interest  in  the  prophet 
and  condescend  to  exjdain  to  him  the  meaning  of  what  he  sees  (7: 
13-17).  These  it  will  be  seen  are  mainly  the  aspects  in  which 
they  appear  in  this  book. 

(2.)  The  question  being  now  narrowed  down  to  the  choice 
between  human  and  superhuman  beings,  I  judge  that  we  must 
accept  the  former,  es}iecially  because  they  say  in  their  song  to 
the  Lamb — "  Thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God 
by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and 
nation"  (5:  8-11).  This  could  not  have  been  said  and  sung 
by  any  superhuman  orders  of  created  l)eings  according  to  any 
light  in  our  Bible.  Kor  is  it  out  of  harmony  with  this  view  that 
they  appear  "having  golden  vials  full  of  odors  which  are  the 
prayers  of  saints"  (5  :  8).  Let  us  suppose  them  to  be  ideal  rep- 
resentatives of  the  glorified  saints  in  heaven,  introduced  into  these 
visions  to  show  the  prophet  and  his  readers  what  sphere  the  holy 
from  earth  are  filling  in  heaven;  what  sympathy  they  still  retain 
with  their  suffering  brethren  yet  in  the  flesh  ;  what  access  they 
have  to  the  throne  above  and  what  influence  there ;  also  what 
their  employments  ai'e.  So  Avill  the  significance  of  this  represen- 
tation appear  in  all  points  pertinent  and  instructive.  Let  us  also 
notice  tlie  sympathy  manifested  by  one  of  them  in  kindly  calling 
John's  attention  to  the  white-robed  ones  (7:  13),  and  in  his  ex- 
planation (vs.  14-17) — so  admirably  adapted  to  comfort  the  im- 
periled martyrs  and  so  appropriate  as  coming  from  one  who 
represented  the  glorified  saints  already  in  heaven. 

5.  And  out  of  the  throne  proceeded  lightning.s  and 
thunderings  and  voices  :  and  there  were  seven  lamps  of 
fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  Spirits 
of  God. 

The  "lightnings,  thunderings  and  voices"  seem  in  this  case  to 
have  been  designed  to  make  a  general  impression  rather  than  to 
bear  any  special  significance.  Is'aturall}^  they  must  awaken  atten- 
tion and  inspire  awe.     They  do  not  appear  to  reveal  any  thing 

definite.     (See  also  8  :  5,  and  IG  :  18.) As  to  the  "  seven  lamps 

of  fire,"  see  notes  on  1  :  4-6. By  a  law  of  inexorable  necessity, 

all  symbols  shown  in  vision  must  come  down  to  material  oljjects 
however  much  it  may  seem  to  degrade  the  grand  and  magnificent 
idea.  No  forms  of  matter  wrought  into  sj'mbol  can  possibly  do 
justice  to  the  qualities  and  powers  of  the  Infinite  God.  These 
seven  lamps  of  tire  must  not  be  thought  of  simply  as  bo  many 
chandeliers  in  an  ancient  cathedral.  We  must  rather  think  of 
them  as  illuminating  and  irradiating  the  throne  of  heaven  with 
eploudor  and  glory  such  as  no  mortal  eye  could  bear,  but  set  forth 


EEVELATION— CHAP.  IV.  89 

liere  under  the  same  general  syraljol  which  represents  the  church 
on  earth  (1  :  20)  because  buth  are  agencies  for  ditfusing  the  true 
light  of  (iod.  The  divine  Spirit  has  no  function  mcu-e  high  or 
glorious  than  that  of  revealing  the  true  God  to  his  creatures. 

C.  And  before  the  throne  flicre  icas  a  sea,  of  glass  like 
unto  crysfal:  and  in  tlie  midst  of  the  throne,  and  round 
about  tiie  thione,  were  four  beasts  full  of  eyes  before  and 
behind. 

7.  And  the  first  beast  was  like  a  lion,  and  the  second 
beast  like  a  calf,  and  the  the  third  beast  had  a  face  as  a 
man,  and  the  fourth  beast  icas  like  a  flying  eagle. 

8.  And  the  four  beasts  had  each  of  them  six  wings 
about  him;  and  they  were  full  of  eyes  within:  and  they  rest 
not  day  and  night,  saying.  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God 
Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come. 

I  judge  that  the  words  "sea"  and  "glass"  give  not  the  reality 
but  only  the  appearance.  They  are  fine  images  of  splendor,  beauty 
and  glory. New  persons  are  introduced  here  to  us,  called  un- 
fortunately by  our  translators  "beasts."  It  is  simply  unaccount- 
able that  they  should  translate  this  Greek  word  (soon)  "beast," 
and  then  another  Greek  word  (iherion,  in  chap  13:  1-4,  11,  ]'2, 
etc.)  by  the  same  English  word,  beast.  The  latter  is  a  savage  wild 
Ijcast,  fierce,  ugly,  formidaljle,  and  foul — a  fit  symbol  of  a  great 
civil  persecuting  power.  lUit  the  word  now  before  us  means  pre- 
cisely a  living  oiic,  endowed  preeminently  with  life — the  noblest  of 
all  created  endowments.  Tliese  four  living  ones  are  imitated  in 
part  from  Ezek.  1,  and  in  part  from  Isa.  6.  From  Ezekiel  they 
have  their  name,  "living  creatures;"  their  number,  four;  their 
symbolic  tvpe,  i.  e.,  the  animal  forms  that  are  grouped  and  com- 
bined to  represent  the  noblest  qualities  known  in  the  animal  world 
— the  lion,  the  ox  or  young  bullock  [better  than  "calf"j,  the  hu- 
man face,  the  ilying  eagle. From  Isa.  6  they  have  the  six  wings 

and  in  part  the  very  words  of  their  song,  "Holy,  holy,  holy,  is 
Jehovah  of  Hosts" — the  "Jehovah"  of  Isaiah  being  translated 
here  into  the  phrase — "  Avhich  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come.''  (See 
Votes  on  1 :  4.) It  is  a  point  of  some  interest  to  reach  if  pos- 
sible the  true  idea  of  these  four  living  ones.  What  are  thry  and 
what  do  thiy  represent  f The  data  upon  which  to  base  an  intelli- 
gent, relial)lc  judgment  must  be  found  in  what  is  said  of  them 
in  this  book  and  in  the  sources  (I'^.ekicl  and  Isaiah)  whence  these 
characters  seem  to  be  taken  by  imitation.  The  passages  in  this 
book,  other  than  in  this  chapter,  arc  5  :  (5,  8,  11,  14,  and  6  :  1,3, 
5-7,  and  7:11,  and  14:  3,  and  15  :  7,  and  19  :  4.  From  these  pa.s- 
sagcs  we  learn  tliat  they  are  very  near  the  central  throne;  are 
intimately  a.ssociatcd  with  the  twcnty-rour  elders,  yet  take  prece- 
dence of  them;  unite  with  them  in  adoration  and  praise;  call  the 


dO  REVELATION. -CIIAr.  IV. 

attention  of  the  prophet  to  the  revelations  made  at  the  opening  of 
the  lirst  four  seals ;  one  of  them  gives  to  the  seven  angels  the 
seven  vials  full  of  the  wrath  of  God  (la  :  7).  Such  are  their  em- 
ployments, as  in  this  book. In  Ezck  1,  I  take  the    four  living 

creatures  to  be  symbolic  representations  of  the  providential  gov- 
ernment and  agencies  of  Clod,  considered  especially  as  shaping 
the  history  and  the  retributive  destiny  of  nations.  Consequently 
they  are  not  personal  but  impersonal — mere  illustrations,  pre- 
sented in  symbol,  of  the  works  of  the  great  divine  Agent  and  Lord 
of  all.  But  in  Isaiah  they  are  manifestly  personal  and  not  impei^ 
sunal.  They  act,  they  speak,  they  cry  one  to  another.  Conse- 
quently we  must  take  them  to  be  created,  sinless  beings  of  a  high 

if  not  the  very  highest  order. In  the  case  before  us  our  choice 

must  lie  between  the  usage  of  Ezekiel  and  the  usage  of  Isaiah. 
Are  they,  as  in  Ezekiel,  impersonations  of  God's  providential 
forces;  or,  as  in  Isaiah,  veritable  persons,  of  the  noblest  order  of 
sinless  beings  ? 1  accept  the  latter  view,  because  these  are  ob- 
viously conscious  intelligent  existences,  performing  acts  and  mani- 
festing qualities  that  must  imply  distinct  personality. It  may  be 

thought  by  some  that  their  uniting  (5:  8-10)  with  the  twenty-four 
elders  in  the  "  new  song  " — "Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book  and 
to  open  its  seals,  for  thou  hast  redeemed  us"  etc.,  must  imply  that 
they  too  as  well  as  the  elders  are  from  the  redeemed  race  of  men 

and  represent  them. Over  against  this  inference  I  suggest  that 

when  the  four  living  ones  lead  the  song  (as  in  4:  9-11)  its  theme 
is  creation,  not  redemption,  and  that  in  this  "new  song"  (5  :  {)) 
the  twenty-four  elders  lead  and  give  shape  to  the  sentiment  and 
the  langu.age,  while  the  living  ones  unite  from  sympathy  Avith  their 
j'ounger  brethren  (the  "elders")  and  not  because  they  themselves 
have  been  redeemed  by  Jesus'  blood.  This  sympathy  between 
the  loftiest  of  God's  archangels  and  the  eldership  which  stands  for 
the  redeemed  of  earth  is  wonderfully  beautiful,  precious,  and  let 
us  not  omit  to  say,  pertinent  to  the  great  moral  purpose  of  the 
book,  viz.,  to  set  before  the  persecuted  saints  of  John's  age  (and 
of  every  age)  the  sympathy  felt  in  their  case  by  all  the  hierarchies 
of  the  heavenly  world — a  sympathy  which  manifests  itself  not  only  in 
tlieir  unison  of  heart  and  voice  in  the  great  choral  songs  of  heaven 
for  creation  and  redemption,  but  in  celebrating  the  progressive 
steps  of  God's  righteous  retributive  agencies  as  they  work  out  in 
prospect  and  in  fact  the  deliverance  of  his  imperiled  people,  the 
ruin  of  their  persecutors,  and  the  final  triumph  of  Christ's  king- 
dom over  all  the  nations. In  regard  to  the  designation  of  these 

four  beings  nearest  the  throne  as  Uvin/f  ones,  I  suggest  that  it  may 
express  their  tireless  energy,  "They  rest  not  day  and  night;  "  and 
possibly  also  the  fact  that  (unlike  the  saints  from  our  earth)  they 
have  never  known   death.     Their  life-power  never  wanes — never 

hiis   been  eclipsed;    mortality   to   them   is   all   unknown. The 

t^iuaitic  manuscript,  one  of  the  oldest  known,  remarkably  repeata 
the  word  "holy"  (v.  8)  not  merely  three  times  but  eight. 


REVELATION.-CIIAP.  V.  91 

9.  And  wlicii  those  beasts  give  glory  and  honor  and 
thanks  to  him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  who  liveth  fur  ever 
and  ever, 

10.  The  four  and  twenty  elders  fall  down  before  him 
that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worship  him  that  liveth  for  ever 
and  ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying, 

11.  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory  and  honor 
and  i)ower  :  for  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy 
■pleasure  they  are  and  were  created. 

Here  Avc  liave  the  mutual  sympathy  ami  union  of  the  four  liv- 
iu\i  ones  and  of  tlie  twenty-four  elders  in  this  lirst  specimoa  song 

ot  heaven. 'The  improved  text  makes  the  verl)s,  "give"  (v.  U) 

and  "fall"  (v.  10),  ])oth  future,  the  sense  being  that  whenever  the 
living  ones  shall  strike  this  song,  the  twenty-four  elders  tvill  fall 
prt)stratc,  worship,  and  cast  their  crowns  at  his  feet  in  perfect  and 

most  blessed  sympathy. This  song  honors  and  extols  the  in- 

linite  Lord  as  iSuprcme  Creator,  declaring  that  out  of  his  r/orid  luill 
["pleasure"],  because  of  his  supreme  desire  to  bless  with  liap]ii- 
ness,  he  has  created  sentient  beings.  They  exist  by  virtue  of  his 
creative  mandate. 


C  11  AFTER    V. 

The  great  feature  of  this  chapter  is  the  book  of  destiny  seen  in 
heaven  (v.  1)  ;  the  question,  Who  can  open  and  read  it  (vs.  2-4) ; 
settled  at  length  by  the  aniiouncement  that  the  Lion  of  Judah  has 
conquered  and  will  open  amd  read  it  (v.  5).  lie  appears  in  form 
as  a  Lamb  slain  and  takes  the  book  (vs.  6,  7) ;  whereupon  the  joy 
of  heaven  breaks  forth  in  glorious  song;  the  living  ones  and  the 
elders  first  leading  (vs.  8-10),  and  then  the  myriads  of  angels 
come  in  with  the  grand  chorus  (vs.  11-14). 

1.  And  I  saw  in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the 
tlirone  a  book  Avritten  within  and  on  the  back  side,  sealed 
with  seven  seals. 

Unquestionably  this  "book"  is  in  imitation  of  Ezck.  2,  and  is 
the  book  of  the  future  destinies  of  the  church  and  of  her  fortunes 
as  related  to  her  persecuting;  enemies.  From  the  fact  that  this 
prophecy  tills  a  book  [scroll]  and  consists  of  seven  successive  sec- 
tions each  fastcnd  with  its  own  seal,  Ave  can  infer  nothing  as  to 
the  duration  of  the  periods  of  time  Avhich  it  covers,  or  as  to  tlio 
ix)int  where  its  prophetic  events  sliall  commence  tiieir  fuliillment. 
Light  on  these  points  must  be  sought  elsewhere. The  reader 


92  EEVELATION.— CIIAr.  V. 

will  notice  that  this  book  is  seen  in  the  ri^ht  hand  of  the  great 
J5oing  on  tlie  central  throne.  This  correspontls  with  the  state- 
ment (1:  1),  "The  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  which  God  gave  to 

him," 

2.  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel  proclaiming  witli  a  loud 
voice,  Who  is  wortliy  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  tlie 
seals  theroof  ? 

3.  And  no  man  in  heaven,  nor  in  earth,  neither  under 
tlie  earth,  was  able  to  open  the  book,  neither  to  look 
thereon. 

These  scenes  served  to  awaken  attention  and  to  excite  interest 

to   its  highest  pitch. "  Worthy  to  open,"  in  the  sense  of  com- 

2)eteni,  capable,  coupled  pei-haps  Avith  the  idea  of  being  honored 
of  God  to  make  this  revelation.  "To  look  thereon"  were  better 
read,  therein,  to  look  into  it  to  read  its  revelations  of  human  des- 
tiny. 

4.  And  I  \yeY)t  much,  because  no  man  was  found  worthy 
to  open  and  to  read  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon. 

5.  And  one  of  the  elders  saith  unto  me.  Weep  not :  be- 
hold, the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  the  Root  of  David, 
hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven 
seals  thereof. 

The  prophet  feels  deeply,  as  one  whose  heart  is  keenly  alive  to 
tlie  fortunes  of  Christ's  church  and  kingdom,  Avhose  hopes  of  see- 
ing some  foreshadowings  of  her  future  have  been  raised  by  a  siuht 
of  the  book,  but  are  now  suspended  and  liable  to  be  quenched  in 
darkness  "if  no  one  can  be  found  to  open  it  and  to  read.  One  of 
tlie  twenty-four  elders  (heavenly  representatives  of  the  earthly 
church)  comes  to  him  in  warm  sympathy,  with  the  welcome  tiding.s 
that  one  is  found  competent  to  loose  those  seals  and  to  reveal  the 
contents  of  the  book.  It  is  the  risen  Messiah,  called  "  the  Lion 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah" — the  lion  being  the  recognized  and  well- 
known  symbol  of  this  tribe  (see  Gen.  49  :  9,  10)  ;  called  also  "  the 
Root  of  David,"  i.  c,  the  root-shoot,  the  fresh  growth  springing  up 
from  the  root  and  constituting  the  new  tree — a  turn  of  thought 
taken  from  Isa.  11 :  1,  10.  lie  "hath  prevailed  "  (Greek,  hath  con- 
quered) so  as  to  open  the  book.     He  has  proved  himself  worthy 

and  has   received   the   honor  of  making  this   revelation. The 

question  has  been  raised  whether  in  the  state  of  prophetic  ecstasy 
the  prophet  still  retained  his  personal  consciousness  and  identity, 
i.  e.,  was  still  himself  Plainly  in  this  case  the  seer  of  Patmos  is 
still  the  same  John,  the  anxious  loving  father  of  his  spiritual  chil- 
dren, the  careful  pastor  of  his  flock,  the  faithful  disciple  whjse 
heart  trembles  for  the  ark  of  God  and  watches  with  deepest  in- 
terest the  revelations  of  Ziuu's  nearer  future. 


rvEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  V.  93 

6.  And  I  beheld,  an(],  lo,  in  the  midst  of  tlie  throne  and 
of  the  four  beasts,  and  in  the  midst  of  tlie  elders,  stood  a 
Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns  and  seven 
eyes,  which  are  the  seven  tSpirits  of  God  sent  forth  into 
all  the  earth. 

And  now  the  vision  opens  to  briii^  tlic  risen  Messiah  before 
him.  There,  "  in  the  midst  of  tlic  throne,"  as  near  as  possible  to 
the  great  central  Beini;; — probably  the  thought  is — jointly  sharing 
■withhim  the  honors  of  that  throne  |sunthronos],  and  immediately 
encircled  by  the  four  living  ones  and  the  twenty-four  ciders,  stood 
One  in  appearance  as  a  Lamb  that  had  been  slain — ^just  before 
seen  as  the  Lion  of  Judah's  tribe,  but  now  the  Lamb  of  Sacrifice 
"who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world"  (John  1:  29).  The 
genius  of  illustrative  symbolism  labors  to  represent  his  perfect 
power  and  perfect  intelligence,  and  hence  tlie  Lamb  has  seven 
horns  [supreme  power],  and  seven  eyes  [perfect  intelligence, 
knowledge,  truth].  These  eyes,  somewhat  imitating  Zechariah 
(Zecb.  3:  9,  and  4:  10),  are  thought  of  as  repi'oseuting,  not  knowl- 
edge in  the  abstract,  or  perhaps  we  might  say,  knowledge  in  repose, 
but  knowledge,  the  very  light  of  Cod,  sent  forth  in  and  by  the 
glorious  special  Agent  of  saving  light  and  converting  truth — the 
Holy  (Jhost.  Ko  view  of  the  functions  of  Jesus  is  full  unless  it 
includes  bis  sending  forth  the  Spirit  as  the  great  Kevealer  of  Cod, 
acting  in  a  sense  suboi-dinate  to  himself,  really  taking  up  his  own 
unfinished  work  and  bearing  it  onward  to  glorious  completion  and 
triumphant  success  in  the  enlightening,  conversion  and  salvation 

of  the  world. AVc  may  perhaps  account  it  an  imperfection  in 

this  symbolism  that  what  appears  at  first  as  the  seven  eyes  of  the 
Lamb  becomes  so  many  sjiirits  sent  forth  al>road  into  all  the 
earth;  but  we  may  well  bear  in  mind  that  when  applied  to  repre- 
sent the  Creat  Cod,  and  especially  the  inelfablc  relations  of  the 
blessed  Trinity,  the  highest  cfibrts  of  symbolisni  must  prove  im- 
perfect. I'he  marvel  in  this  case  is  that  the  sj'mbols  are  so 
wonderfully  expressive,  and  that  the  points  they  present  are  so 
remarkably  in  harmony  with  the  great  central  truths  of  the  gospel 

scheme  touching  the  points  in  hand. 1  need  scarcely  add  that 

something  must  be  put  to  the  account  of  the  intlucnce  of  like 
symbols  in  the  earlier  proi)hets — e.  ff.,  Zechariah. 

7.  And  he  came  and  took  tlic  book  out  of  the  right 
hand  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  throne. 

8.  And  when  he  had  taken  the  book,  the  four  beasts  and 
four  and  tAventy  ehlers  fell  down  liefore  tlie  Lamb,  having 
every  one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials  full  of  odors, 
which  are  the  })rayers  of  saints. 

The  scene  progresses :  the  Lami)  of  the  heavenly  world  ad- 
vances and   takes  the  book  of  destiny.     A  thrill  of  joy  pervades 


94  REVELATION.— CIIAr.  V. 

the  exalted  personages  of  heaven;  first,  those  nearest  tlio  throne — 
the  four  living  ones  and  the  twenty-four  ciders.  Each  of  them  has 
his  harp,  in  readiness  for  outbursting  song,  and  also  "golden  viala 
full. of  odors"  [incense]  which  represent  the  prayers  of  saints. 
Tliese  vials — ^praj^ers — were  specially  pertinent  in  the  hands  of 
the  elders,  wdio  appear  throughout  as  the  special  representatives 
of  the  church  on  earth.  At  this  point  in  the  progress  of  these 
scenes  the  elders  seem  to  lead.     The  living  ones  are  with  them 

(it  would  seem)  under  the  law  of  heavenly  sympathy. But  let 

us  not  fail  to  notice  that  the  prayers  of  the  church  below  have 
very  much  to  do  with  the  counsels  of  the  great  throne  above  and 
with  the  partial  revelation  now  to  be  made  of  those  counsels. 
Many  a  prayer  of  earnestness  amounting  to  agony  has  been  wrung 
from  trembling,  tortured  hearts  amid  the  scenes  or  the  fear  of 
bloody  violence.  The  incense  of  those  prayers,  treasured  in  golden 
vials,  now  goes  up  before  the  throne.  In  answer  thereto,  the 
Lamb  has  taken  the  book  of  destiny  to  reveal  some  Avords  of  com- 
fort touching  God's  judgments  on  his  incorrigible  foes,  and  his 
deliverance  for  his  faithful  friends. 

9.  And  they  sung  a  new  song,  saying,  Thou  art  wortJiy 
to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof:  for  thou 
wast  slain,  and  hast  retleemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out 
of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation  ; 

10.  And  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests : 
and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth. 

"Anew  song" — the  old  song,  celelirating  the  wisdom,  power 
and  love  of  God  in  creation  having  been  given  above  (4:  9-11). 
The  "new  song"  celebrates  not  only  the  fact  of  the  atoning  sac- 
rifice— -"ihe  "Lamb  slain" — but  the  now  pending  victories  of  the 
Lamb  over  his  enemies  and  the  triumphs  of  his  kingdom  on  the 

earth. The   logic  of  this   song   should   be  noted.     "Thou  art 

worthy  to  take  and  open  the  book  because  thou  wast  slain  and 
hast  redeemed  thy  people  even  by  thy  blood."  That  Avondrous 
sacrifice,  never  to  be  forgotten  in  earth  or  heaven,  justifies  and 
demands  the  awarding  to  Jesus  of  the  most  exalted  honors.  So 
Paul  has  said  (Phil.  2:  6-11).  Because  Jesus  "made  himself  of 
no  reputation;  took  the  form  of  a  servant;  became  obedient  unto 
death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross — therefore  God  hath  highly  ex- 
alted him  and  given  him  a  name  above  every  name." This  song 

celebrates  the  twofold  work  wrought  by  Christ  for  his  people ;  ( 1 ) 
redemption ;  (2)  exaltation  to  glory.  "  Thou  hast  redeemed  us  by 
thy  blood;"  thou  hast  also  "made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and 
priests."     The  first  precedes,  but  the  other  follows.     Neither  can 

be  omitted. As  to  the  more  precise  reading  and  sense  of  the 

text,  it  may  be  noted  that  in  the  words — "  llast  redeemed  us  " 
(V.  9),  the  Alexandrine  manuscript  omits  "us"  altogether.  But 
tiie  other  must  ancient  imuiK;^cript  (namely  the  Sinaitic)  rotaiiis 


REVELATIOX.— CHAP.  V.  95 

it  The  passaj^c  sccins  lame  ami  unfinished  without  it  But  in 
V.  10  there  is  a  <:cneral  concurrence  of  the  best  authorities 
(headed  by  the  Alexandrine  and  [?jnaitic)  in  giving  "Mew"  in- 
stead of  "u.s,"  the  sense  being  that  tlie  sung  purposely  includes 
not  only  the  already  ransomed  in  heaven  but  all  the  then  strug- 
gling ones  of  earth  and  indeed  all.  who  should  through  future  ages 
"  believe  on  Jesus  througli  their  word."  These  authorities  favor 
also  the  reading,  "  unto  their  (iod."  Also  many  say,  a  kingdom 
(instead  of  "kings"),  and  sonic,  a,  pries(/iootl  (instead  of  "priests"). 
The  reading  ^^  kingdotn"  might  assume  that  they  are  subjects,  not 
kings,  constituting  Christ's  promised  glorious  kingdom.  If  we 
accept  the  reading  "  kings,"  we  must  still  hold  Christ  supremo, 
and  give  to  this  word  as  applied   to  his  people  only  the  sense  of 

exalted  lionor,  dignity,  reward,  analogous  to  his  own. Precisely 

liow  much  and  what  is  meant  by  the  words  "  o?i  the  earth,",  who 
can  tell?  1  take  them  to  mean  rhis  at  least — that  Christ's  people 
shall  not  be  crushe<l  down  and  savagely  ruled  over  on  the  earth 
forever.  The  long  prevalent  course  of  things  shall  yet  be  reversed  ; 
the  former  oppressors  become  the  crushed  ones,  and  the  foniier 
oppressed,  the  exultant  conr^uerors.     (See  Isa.  14:  2.) 

11.  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  many  ang.ls 
round  about  the  throne,  and  the  beasts,  and  the  elders:  and 
the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand, 
and  thousands  of  thousands; 

12.  Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  ^yorthy  is  the  Lamb  that 
was  sL'iin  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing. 

In  the  outer  circle  of  the  heavenly  liosts  appear  now  the  angelic 
throng  in  numljers  almost  without  number.  In  their  song  all  firms 
of  honor,  power  and  glory  are  ascribed  to  the  Lamb  that  was  slain; 
yet  they  do  not  sa}',  "  slain  for  w.s."  ytill  they  love  the  song  and 
pour  out  their  souls  in  most  exultant  strains.  These  are  things 
which  another  apostle  has  said  "  the  angels  desire  to  look  into," 
and  here  they  are  anticipating  the  opening  glories  of  ^Messiah's 
conflict  and  victory,  rejoicing  that  One  so  worthy  is  to  wear  so 
nobly  the  highest  honors  of  the  heavenly  world. 

lo.  And  every  creature  wliich  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the 
earth,  and  luider  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and 
all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I. saying.  Blessing,  and  honor, 
and  glory,  and  power,  he  unto  him  that  sitteth  uj)0n  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever. 

14.  And  the  four  beasts  said.  Amen.  And  the  four  cnid 
twenty  elders  fell  down  and  worshiped  him  that  liveth  for- 
ever and  ever. 


9G  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  VI. 

If  the  intelliiient  beings  in  the  universe  have  not  been. all  in- 
cluded previously,  this  comprehensive  description  must  take  in 
all — all  the  holy  ones,  all  save  the  rebels  in  hell.  All  these  holy 
ones  are  of  one  heart  to  ascribe  blessing,  honor,  glory,  power  in 
equal  strains,  with  undiscriminating  praise,  (1.)  to  llim  that  sifc- 
teth  on  the  throne,  and  (2.)  to  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever.  No 
question  as  to  the  supreme  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  is  ever  raised 
around  that  highest  throne  of  the  universe.  No  discordant  note 
is  heard  there,  making  the  slightest  discrimination  between  the 
infinite  honor  ascribed  to  (iod,  and  the  equally  infinite  honor  given 

to  the  Lamb  that  was  slain,  his  own  eternal  Son. To  all  this 

the  four  living  ones  respond,  "yLjioi."    And  the  twenty-four  elders 

again  fall  prostrate  and  worship. The  best  authorities  (Sinaitic, 

Alexandrine  and  others)  omit  "  him  that  liveth  forever  and  ever." 
This  avoids  the  difficulty  which  might  be  felt  from  the  appccarance 
of  discriminating  between  the  Father  and  the  Son.  Was  the 
clause  interpolated  in  some  later  manuscripts  to  make  such  a  dis- 
tinction ?  or  was  it  omitted  by  some  to  obviate  it?  The  evidence 
is  strong  for  its  omission.    • 


CHAPTER    VI. 

The  first  si.x  of  the  seven  seals  are  opened  in  their  order,  and 
the  projihet  describes  what  he  saw  and  records  what  he  heard  in 
each  case. 

1.  And  I  saw  wheu  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the  seals, 
and  I  heard,  as  it  were  the  noise  of  tliunder,  one  of  the  four 
beasts  saying,  Come  and  see. 

2.  And  I  saw,  and  behold  a  white  horse :  and  he  that  sat 
on  him  had  a  bow ;  and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him :  and 
he  went  forth  conquering,  and  to  conquer. 

3.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I  heard  the 
second  beast  say.  Come  and  see. 

4.  And  there  went  out  another  horse  that  was  red :  and 
power  was  given  to  him  that  sat  thereon  to  take  peace  from 
tlie  earth,  and  that  they  should  kill  one  another :  and  there 
was  given  unto  him  a  great  sword. 

5.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  I  heard  the 
third  beast  say.  Come  and  see.  And  I  beheld,  and  lo  a 
black  horse ;  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  pair  of  balances 
in  his  hand. 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  VI.  OT 

G.  And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the  midst  of  the  four  beasts 
say,  A  measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three  measure.s 
of  barley  for  a  penny ;  and  see  thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the 
wine. 

7.  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fourth  seal,  I  heard  the 
voice  of  the  fourth  beast  say,  Come  and  see. 

8.  And  I  looked,  and  behold  a  pale  horse :  and  his  name 
ihat  sat  on  him  was  Death,  and  Hell  followed  witli  him. 
And  power  Avas  given  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the 
earth,  to  kill  with  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with  death, 
and  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth. 

The  first  four  of  the  seven  seals  have  many  points  in  common; 
I  therefore  group  them  -tojrether.  As  the  Lamb  opened  them  one 
after  another,  the  four  livhi};  ones  successively  sunnuoned  a  sym- 
bolic horse  to  "  Come."      Tli<3  best  authorities  omit  from   the 

text  "and  see." On  the  opening  of  each  of  these  four  seals, 

the  central  figure  seen  in  the  picture  was  a  horse,  but  varying 
in  color:  in  the  first,  white;  iu  the  second,  red;  in  the  third, 
black;  and  in  the  fourth,  pale.  The  rider  on  the  first  car- 
ried the  bow — a  war-weapon;  a  crown  was  given  him,  and  he 
went  forth  to  conrpier.  lie  is  a  symbol  of  victory. To  the  sec- 
ond there  was  given  a  great  sword,  and  his  power  Avas  to  take 
peace  from  the  land,  and  that  men  should  kill  one  another.     His 

mission   is  war. The   third   rider    carries  a  pair  of  balances 

{scales  for  weighing  accurately);  and  the  voice  heard  in  explana- 
tion of  this  symbol  said,  "A  measure  of  wheat"  [proximately,  a 
quart]  "  for  a  penny  "  [the  price  of  a  day's  labor]  ;  and  a  charge 
"not  to  hurt  the  oil  and  the  wine."     Scarcity  and  famine  are  the 

meaning  of  this  symbol. The  rider  on  the  pale  horse  had  his 

very  name  upon  his  brow:  he  is  Dcat/i,  and  Hades  follows  in  his 
train.  They  go  forth  to  kill — with  sword,  hunger,  pestilence  and 
wild  beasts — to  the  extent  of  one-fourth  part  of  the  people  of  the 
{and,  for  in  all  these  cases  we  are  to  give  the  word  rendered  "  earth  " 
its  more  restricted  and  yet  rather  common  sense,  land;  i.  e.,  the 
country  had  in  view,  which  in  the  case  of  Jewish  writers  was  their 

own  I'alestine.     This  was  to  them  "iAe  land." It  admits  of  no 

reasonable  donht  tliat  these  divei-se  colored  horses  are  imitated 
from  Zech.  I  and  6.  The  horses  of  Zcch.  1  :  8-11  have  riders, 
coming  in  symbol  from  the  Persian  post-horses,  and  are  explorers, 
scouts  (using  this  military  term  in  none  but  an  honorable  sense), 
for  they  traverse  the  earth  to  observe  the  state  of  it.  They  repoi-t 
every  thing  quiet  and  at  rest.  They  represent  the  exploring  agen- 
cies of  Ood's  providence — his  never-ceasing  supervision  of  the  af- 
fairs of  nations — a  prerequisite  to  the  administration  of  justice  and 

retribution. The  vision  of  Zech.  G  presents  chariot  horses  who 

go  forth,  not  to  explore,  but  to  avenge,  to  punish,  to  visit  retribution 
upon  the  guilt}'  nations  whose  oppressions  of  God's  people  had  in- 


98  REVELATION.— CHAP.  VI. 

curred  his  wrfith.    So  v.  8  signifies.    Sec  my  notes  on  the  passage. 

As  to  the  definite  significance  of  the  scenes  presented  on  the 

opening  of  these  first  four  seals,  it  would  seem  that  there  can  be 
no  reason  for  doubt.  Conquest,  War,  Famine.,  Death  are  written 
on  their  very  face.  The  things  said  conspire  with  the  things  shown 
to  make  this  significance  so  far  entirely  plain. But  in  the  spe- 
cial application  of  these  symbols  to  actual  history,  locating  in  place 
and  in  time  the  events  predicted,  commentators  have  disagreed  al- 
most endlessly.  I  do  not  propose  to  distract  (or  to  amuse)  the 
reader  with  these  discordant  and  most  diverse  opinions.  Sufiice 
it  that  the  majority  of  English  authors  have  taken  their  starting 
point — the  opening  of  the  first  seal — far  on  in  time  from  the  date 
of  the  wi'iting,  two  or  three  centuries,  more  or  less ;  and  then  have 
assumed  that  each  successive  seal  covered  its  own  section  of  his- 
tory to  the  extent  of  some  two,  three,  or  four  centuries,  thus  spread- 
ing the  symbols  of  this  chapter  (the  first  six  seals)  over  many  hun- 
dreds of  years — in  some  of  these  schemes  of  interpretation  nearly 
or  quite  to  the  end  of  the  world.  The  edition  of  the  American 
Bible  Society,  now  lying  before  me,  said  to  be  "without  note  or 
comment,"  gives  the  contents  of  this  chapter  thus:  "The  opening 
of  the  seals  in  their  order  and  what  followed  thereupon,  containing 

a  prophecy  to  the  end  of  the  world.'' It  is  simply  inevitable  that 

commentators  who  launch  off  in  this  way  should  diverge  from  each 
other  in  their  course  almost  without  limit.  The  landmarks  given 
in  this  book  they  chiefly  disregard,  being  careful  only  to  "bring 
up  "  at  the  Millennium  and  the  end  of  the  world  either  once  at  the 
close  of  the  book,  or  twice,  the  first  being  in  this  case  at  the  end 
of  chap.  11,  and  then  to  spread  out  the  prophecy  over  the  interven- 
ing ages,  touching  such  events  as  may  best  suit  their  individual 
preferences,  history  being  explored  to  find  something  analogous  to 
these  symbols,  and  each  man  judging  of  the  importance  of  historic 
events,  not  at  all  by  their  relations  to  John  or  to  his  first  readers, 
but  by  their  apparent  magnitude  as  seen  from  each  commentator's 

own  stand-point. 1  hardly  need  say  to  my  readers  that  I  have 

not  the  least  confidence  in  such  methods  of  interpreting  the  book 
of  Revelation,  nor  indeed  any  other  book  ever  written.  Those 
who  have  read  attentively  my  general  introduction  will  understand 
why.  At  this  point  I  must  briefly  give  my  views  of  the  prophetic 
application  of  these  symbols  and  the  grounds  on  which  they  rest. 
1.  These  four  sets  of  symbols  (briefiy  called  these  four  seals) 
describe,  not  four  different  and  distant  periods  of  time,  but  one 
period — one  cluster  of  events.  They  combine  to  represent  one 
historic  period — are  parts  of  one  whole.  It  is  not  war  in  one  age 
of  the  world;  famine  in  another;  death  and  carnage  in  another; 
but  war,  famine,  and  death  in  dread  combination,  all  conspiring  to 
afflict  and  plague  the  men  of  some  one  generation.  For,  these 
things  naturally  go  together.  You  can  not  have  the  white  horse  of 
victory  and  conquest  through  the  "bow"  without  war;  you  can 
not  have  the  red  horse  of  war  without   having  also  the  black 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  VI.  99 

horse,  famine,  and  the  pnle  horse,  death,  in  his  immediate  train. 

Then   moreover  this  view  corresponds  with  the  significance 

of  these  s3-mbols  in  the  original  source  from  which  they  came. 
Zechariah's  horses  with  riders  (chap.  1)  and  his  horses  with 
chariots  (chap.  G)  each  in  their  pUice  are  a  unit  in  significance.  No 
sensible  man  (so  far  as  I  know)  ever  thouglit  of  spreading  out  these 
symbols  to  designate  each  its  own  long  age  of  history — each  its  own 
distinct  and  independent  set  of  events.  Why  then  should  such  a 
method  be  adopted  in  the  case  of  these  same  symbols  when  used 
by  John  ? Moreover  I  am  forbidden  to  spread  out  these  sym- 
bols over  ten  centuries  or  even  one,  by  the  positive  and  conclusive 
limitations  fixed  by  Jesus  Christ  himself — saying,  "things  which 
must  shortl)/  come  to  pass  ; "   "  for  the  time  is  at  hand."     (1  :  1,  3, 

and  22:  6,  10.) Still  further,  the  scenes  at  the  opening  of  the 

fifth  seal  must  have  been  understood  by  John  and  his  first  read- 
ers as  i-eferring  to  their  own  martyred  brethren  and  to  the  bloody 
men  who  had  taken  their  lives — scenes  therefore  of  that  very  age 

and  not  of  ages  a  thousand  years  distant. And  yet  further,  the 

scenes  of  the  seventh  seal  developed  in  chap.  11  are  definitely 
located  near  yet  shortly  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and 
of  its  temple,  and  therefore  these  preceding  seals  must  have  their 
historic  place  in  the  series  of  events  that  shortly  preceded  that 
catastrophe  of  ruin  to  Judaism  and  -to  its  great  city  and  nation. 

2.  As  already  said,  the  one  cluster  of  events  to  which  these 
four  seals  point  and  which  they  symbolize  1  find  in  the  period 
immediately  preceding  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  (A.  D.  70).  To  sus- 
tain this  view  I  adduce  the  limitations  of  time  just  referred  to  in 
tlie  opening  of  the  book  and  elsewhere ;  in  the  scenes  of  the  fifth 
seal;  and  in  the  landmarks  which  appear  in  chap.  11.  1  have 
also  two  other  considerations  of  much  force,  viz.:  (1.)  The  analo- 
gous and  indeed  strikingly  similar  prophecies  of  Christ  himself  as 
given  in  Mat.  24;  Mark  13;  and  Luke  21.  In  Mat.  24:  G-9  we 
have  these  words :  "  And  ye  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumors  of 
wars;  but  the  end  is  not  yet.  For  nation  shall  rise  against  nation 
and  kingdom  against  kingdom,  and  there  shall  be  famines  and 
pestilences,  and  earthquakes  in  diverse  places.  All  these  are  the 
beginning  of  sorrows."  As  given  by  Luke  with  at  least  equal 
strength,  we  have  (21  :  9-11):  "Ye  shall  hear  of  wars  and  com- 
motions ;  nation  shall  rise  against  nation  and  kingdom  against 
kingdom,  and  great  earthquakes  shall  be  in  diverse  places  and 
famines    and    pestilences,    and    fearful    sights    and    great    signs 

shall  there  be  from  heaven." That  all   these  predicted   events 

come  in  before  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  is  proved  by  the  fact  that 
they  precede  the  predicted  "encompassing"  of  that  city  "  witli 
armies"  (Luke  21 :  20,  21),  which  was  to  be  their  signal  for  flight 

to  the  mountains. If  any  reader  should  feel  tlio  need  of  more 

proof,  he  can  find  it  in  the  precise  limitations  of  time  within  whicii 
^esus  locates  tliose  predicted  events:  "Verily  1  say  unto  j'ou,  this 
generation  shall  not  pass  away  till  all  be  fulfilled  "  (Luke  21 :  32, 


too  REVELAIIOX.— CHAP.  VI. 

and  Mat.  24 :  34).  Thus  the  predictions  of  Jesus  himself  as  given 
in  the  first  three  gospels  and  these  predictions  unfolded  before 
John  in  the  first  four  seals  and  indeed  in  the  sixth  and  seventh 
also  as  we  shall  see,  are  entirely  at  one — liarmonious  and  coinci- 
dent.    They  predict  the  same  calamities;   to  occur  at  the  same 

time;  among  the  same  people;   upon  the  same  great  city. (2.) 

The  other  fact,  which  naturally  closes  my  argument,  is  the  precise 
fuljillrncnt  in  the  hislori/  of  that  2>eriod,  say  during  the  five  years 
(A.  D.  6,5-70)  immediately  preceding  the  final  fall  of  Jerusalem. 
Josephus  has  written  out  this  history  very  minutely,  and  has 
shown  that  this  prophecy  has  its  perfect  counterpart  in  the 
events  of  that  precise  period.  Yet  Josephus  probably  knew 
nothing  about  these  predictions,  either  as  recorded  by  Matthew, 
Mark,  and  Luke,  or  as  shown  to  John  in  these  symbols.  Xo  sus- 
picion of  a  purpose  to  make  out  a  fulfillment  of  prophecy  can 

possibly  attach  to  him  or  to  his  history. Drawing  mainly  from 

the  work  of  Josephus,  yet  in  part  from  Roman  sources,  Jahn  in 
his  "  History  of  the  llebrew  Commonwealth  "  has  given  a  more 
succinct  account  of  these  scenes  of  sedition,  civil  war,  and  conse- 
quent treachery,  corruption,  Avar  and  carnage.  Thus — "  When 
Festus  became  procurator  of  Judea  [A.  D.  60]  he  found  it  full  of 
robbers  who  devastated  the  country  with  fire  and  sword."  [Jahn, 
page  447.]  From  this  time  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Jewish 
war  in  A.  D.  66,  civil  commotions  were  constantly  occurring; 
scenes  of  blood  filled  the  whole  country  with  alarm.  In  Syria 
and  in  Galilee — points  sufBcieutly  remote  from  Jerusalem  to  ac- 
count for  the  precise  fact — "  ja  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumors  of 
wars,"  these  conflicts  of  armies  were  fearful.  On  one  day  "al- 
most all  the  Jews  of  Cesarea  were  murdered:  their  countrymen 
were  highly  exasperated ;  they  collected  in  great  numbers,  plun- 
dered and  devastated  the  villages  and  cities  of  the  Syrians.  Phil- 
adelphia, Sebonitis,  Gerasa,  Pella,  and  Scythopolis  sufiered  the 
most  severely ;  Gadara,  Hippo,  Gaulanitis,  Kedosa  of  the  Tyrians, 
Ptolemais,  Gaza,  and  Cesarea  were  attacked;  Sebaste,  Askelon, 
Anthedon,  and  Gaza  were  burnt."  ''  On  this  account  the  Syrians 
fell  upon  the  Jews  who  dwelt  in  their  cities;  and  the  whole 
country  presented  a  scene  of  confusion  and  blood.  In  every  cily 
there  were  hostile  armies,  and  there  was  no  safety  for  any  one  but  in 
the  strength  of  the  party  to  which  he  belonged.  At  Askelon,  Ptole- 
mais, Tyre,  Hippo  and  Gadara,  the  Jews  were  involved  in  one 
general  massacre,"  etc.  [Jahn  457,  and  .losephus'  Jewish  Wars, 
Book  II,  chap.  19.]  And  when  in  A.  D.  67,  Vespasian  swept 
through  Galilee  and  Samaria,  and  city  after  city  fell  before  him, 
"  the  scenes  of  horror  and  carnage  were  fearful ;  the  merciless 
eword  spared  neither  age  nor  sex ;  cities  were  left  without  inhab- 
itant."    These  scenes  correspond  with  but   too  sad  precision  to 

the  prophetic  portraying  which  we  have  in  these   symbols. 1 

must  not  pass  from  these  symbols  witliout  adverting  again  to  tho 
scenes  at  the  opening  of  the  first  seal — the  white  horse  and  the 


EEVELATION.-CIIAP.  VI.  101 

crowned  rider,  going  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer.  I  suggest 
tliiit  til  is  group  of  symbols  fitly  holds  the  lirst  place  in  the  fore- 
ground, comprehensively  forshadowing  the  grand  result  of  all  these 
judgments  and  plagues  upon  the  Avicked  tu  be  victory  and  glory  to 
the  Great  Conqueror.  This  book  of  prophecy  opens  as  it  closes, 
this  first  seal  being  significantly  correlated  to  the  last  prophetic 
scene  before  the  jiinding  of  Satan.  "I  saw  heaven  opened 
(19:  11--1G),  and  behold  a  xoKde  horse,  and  he  that  sat  upon  him 
was  called  Faithful  and  True,  and  in  righteousness  doth  he  judge 
and  make  war.  His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire  and  on  his  head 
were  many  oroiois."  "  The  armies  Avhich  were  in  heaven  followed 
him  upon  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  Avliite  and  clean." 
This  scene  is  the  grand,  triumphal  procession:  the  first  (Kev. 
G  :  2)  is  the  foreshadowing  pledge  of  this  final  result. 

9.  And  when  lie  had  opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under 
the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of 
God,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held : 

10.  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  IIow  long, 
O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  not  judge  and  avenge  our 
blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  ? 

11.  And  white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them  ; 
and  it  was  said  unto  them,  that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a 
little  season,  until  their  fellow  servants  also  and  their 
brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as  tliev  ivere,  should  be  ful- 
filled. 

Before  the  revealing  Spirit  advances  farther  in  these  descriptive 
symbols  of  judgment  and  terrible  retribution,  it  is  vital  to  his 
moral  purpose  to  show  the  prophet  and  his  readers  somewhat 
more  definitely  on  lohom  they  arc  to.fiiU  and  ivliy.  They  needed 
to  know  this  for  their  own  consolation  and  for  the  confirming 
of  their  souls  in  Christian  courage  and  fortitude  to  endure  the 
fiery  persecutions  then  before  them.     Hence  the  scenes  revealed 

in  this  fifth  section. Here  are  seen  under  the  altar,  i.  e.,  at  the 

foot  of  it,  in  imploring  attitude,  the  souls  of  men  already  slain  for 
their  fidelity  to  Christ  and  his  gospel.  John  hears  their  cry — 
"  How  long,  0  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge 
our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth?"  It  seemed  to  them 
(why  should  it  not?)  that  truth  was  suffering,  that  Christ's  king- 
dom was  going  down-,  that  justice  was  outraged  by  the  longer  per- 
mission of  such  horrible  persecutions,  and  even  by  the  delay  of 
righteous  retribution  upon  their  murderers.  («od  heard  their  cry 
and  answered.  First,  white  robes  are  given  to  each  one  of  them, 
signifying  that  personally  they  are  conquerors  and  shall  have  their 
reward — that  prospectively  their  cause  is  certain  to  conquer,  and 

their  Cireat  King  to  come  forth  victorious   and   triumphant. 

They  are  also  told  that  there  must  be  yet  a  short  delay  of  final 


102  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  VI. 

judgment  on  their  persecutors — a  few  more  of  their  fcllow-ser- 
vant8  and  brethren  having  yet  a  martyr's  death   to   suffer  and  a 

martyr's  crown  to  Avin. This  revelation,  made  in  the  opening 

of  the  fifth  seal,  had  an  obvious  and  admirable  moral  purpose. 
]t  not  only  made  the  previous  seals  intelligible  and  the  subse- 
quent seals  (the  sixth  and  the  seventh)  as  well,  showing  that  they 
predict  God's  retributions  upon  the  persecutors  of  his  people ;  but 
it  revealed  an  open  heaven  and  a  blessed  reward  for  the  martyred 
dead,  and  gave  them  assurance  of  final  victory  to  the  cause  for 
which  they  sufiered.     These  were  much  needed  consolations  and 

they  were  inexpressibly  rich. 1  have  more  than  once  referred 

to  this  fifth  seal  in  its  bearings  upon  the  ivne  of  these  predicted 
events.  There  being  good  grounds  for  assuming  that  these  souls 
seen  under  the  altar  w^ere  when  John  saw  this  vision  but  recently 
slain — that  they  were  the  martyred  Christians  of  that  very  age 
and  perhaps  of  those  very  churches  (Antipas  being  a  samj)le, 
2  :  13),  I  infer  that  John  and  his  first  readers  would  feel  the  full 
force  of  such  a  scene  and  would  find  in  it,  first  indeed  the  fact 
that  they  had  more  persecution  yet  to  suffer;  but  secondly,  that 
it  would  be  only  for  a  little  season,  and  that  reward  and  tri- 
umph were  sure   to   follow. The   grounds   for   assuming  that 

these  martyrs  and  their  persecutors  were  men  of  that  age  are  in 
brief — that  this  is  the  obvious  construction  of  the  words,  "  on  them 
that  dwell  [now]  on  the  earth;  "  that  these  scenes  must  certainly 
be  construed  in  the  light  of  the  limitations  of  time  which  open 
and  which  close  the  book,  and  which  appear  in  chap.  11  and 
elsewhere ;  that  therefore  it  is  simply  certain  that  John  and  his 
first  readers  must  have  understood  the  revelations  of  the  fifth  seal 
as   applying   to  their  own  already  martyred  brethren,   and  that 

therefoi'e  this  construction  must  be  the  true  one. To  suppose 

that  these  were  the  souls  of  martyrs,  not  already  slain  but  to  be 
slain  one  thousand  years  thereafter,  in  the  days  of  the  Waldenses 
and  Albigenses,  is  simply  to  wrest  the  words  from  their  obvious 
sense  and  application,  and  force  upon  them  a  meaning  which 
could  never  have  entered  the  mind  of  John  or  of  those  whom  he 
addressed.  Such  methods  of  interpretation  can  not  be  too  se- 
verely censured.  They  practically  destroy  all  confidence  in 
prophecy  by  ignoring  the  legitimate  principles  and  laws  of  proph- 
etic interpretp-tion.  Good  men,  most  excellent  men,  have  made 
this  mistake  let  no  word  of  mine  impeach  their  goodness  or  their 
worthiness  of  aim ;  but  for  truth's  sake  and  to  preserve  prophecy 
from  abuse,  I  must  protest  against  such  interpretation. 

12,  And  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth  seal, 
and,  lo,  there  was  a  great  earthquake  ;  and  the  sun  became 
black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  moon  become  as  blood ; 

13.  And  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth,  even  as 
a  fig-tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken  of  a 
mighty  wind. 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  VI.  103 

14.  And  the  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled 
together ;  and  every  mountain  and  ialand  were  moved  out 
of  their  places. 

Here  are  premonitory  indications  of  coming  judgments.  All 
nature  is  thrilled  with  terror  and  awe,  and  gives  tokens  of  her 
agony.  The  heavens  ahove  and  the  earth  heneath  seem  to  fore- 
east  the  fearful  doom  of  guilty  man  and  the  awful  coming  of  his 
righteous  Judge  for  terrihle  retribution.  Every  symbol  significant 
of  terror,  Avrath,  plague,  is  tasked  to  its  utmost  capacity  to  set 
forth  the  consummation  of  judgment  and  fiery  indignation  upon 

the  guilty. ''There  was  a  great  earthquake."     As  recorded  by 

Matthew  (24  :  7)  .Jesus  had  said  of  this  very  period  :  "  There  shall 
be  earthquakes  in  diverse  places."  Palestine  was  somewhat  sub- 
ject to  earthquakes.  It  would  be  easy  to  verify  this  prediction 
in  a  literal  sense.  Yet  the  genius  of  prophetic  vision  by  no  means 
requires  us  to  find  a  precisely  literal  fulfillment  of  any  one  of 
these  descriptive  points.  John  states  what  he  saw  when  the  sixth 
seal  was  broken — things  which  had  significance  indeed,  but  which 
did  not  mean  that  precisely  these  things,  literally,  should  occur. 
A  great  earthquake  was  a  pertinent  symbol  of  social  and  political 
convulsions — the  ruin  of  cities ;  the  fall  of  kingdoms ;   the  wreck 

of  society. The  Old  Testament  prophets  had  said,  "  The    sun 

shall  be  turned  into  darkness  and  the  moon  into  blood"  (Jt)el 
2:  31  and  Isa.  13:  10);  "the  stars  of  heaven  and  the  constella- 
tions thereof  shall  not  give  their  light"  (Isa.  13:  10);  "all  their 
host  shall  fall  down  as  the  leaf  falleth  off  from  the  vine  and  as  a 
falling  fig  from  the  fig-tree  "  (Isa.  34  :  4);  "  that  the  heavens  shall 
be  rolled  together  as  a  scroll"  (Isa.  34:  4).  As  to  the  removing 
of  mountains  and  islands,  Jeremiah  had  said  (4:  24),  "I  beheld 
the  mountains  and  lo,  they  trembled,  and  all  the  hills  moved 
lightly;"  and  Ezekiel  (26:  18),  "Now  shall  the  isles  tremble  in 
the  day  of  thy  fall."  As  recorded  by  i\Iatthew  (24:  29)  Jesus  had 
used  the  same  symbols :  "  The  sun  shall  be  darkened  and  the 
moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven, 
and  the  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken."  These  symbols 
therefore  were  not  new  to  prophecy;  they  might  have  been  famil- 
iar to  John  through  the  reading  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets. 
Their  sense  here  is  essentially  the  same  as  there. 

15.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men,  and 
the  rich  men,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men, 
and  every  bond  man,  and  every  free  man,  hid  themselves  in 
the  deiis  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  mountains ; 

10.  And  said  to  the  mountains  and  rocks.  Fall  on  us, 
and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  liim  that  sitteth  on  the  throne, 
and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb : 

17.  For  the  groat  day  of  his  wrath  is  come ;  and  who 
ehall  be  able  to  stand  ? 


iOi  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  VI. 

The  moral  force  of  this  prophecy  is  signally  heightened  "by 
showing  not  only  how  the  material  universe  quailed  and  trembled, 
hut  how  the  hearts  of  the  mightiest  of  men  quailed  also,  and  how 
they  flinl  for  shelter  to  the  rocks  and  to  the  mountains,  but  too 
glad  if  tliey  might  be  buried  beneath  their  fall  rather  than  meet 
the  face  and  the  frown  of  Ifim  who  sits  on  the  throne  and  of  the 

f  jjimb  in  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  ! The  Greek  has  the  conv 

prehensive  expression — "  hid  themselves  into  the  dens  and  rocks 
of  the  mountain,"  meaning  that  they  fled  into  them  for  a  hiding- 
place. There  was  a  suggested  sense  of  retribution  in  this  wliicli 

both  the  persecuted  and  their  persecutors  must  feel — that  whereas 
the  hunted  Cliristians  had  often  and  for  a  long  time  been  com- 
pelled to  flee  to  caverns  and  rocks  in  the  wild  mountains,  in  some 
periods  to  the  catacombs  of  the  dead  for  refuge,  now  this  prophecy 
reverses  the  two  parties:  those  who  had  hunted  them  down  to  shed 
their  blood  are  now  the  fleeing  ones,  to  hide  in  the  same  caverns 
and  fastnesses  whither  they  had  driven  defenseless  Christians  and 
where  they  had  perhaps  sought  and  found  their  victims.  Isa.  14: 
'2,  treating  of  Jews  and  Chaldeans,  predicts  the  same  reversal  of 

their  respective  destiny. Note  also  the  terrible  significance  and 

power  of  those  ideas — "hide  us  from  the  face  of  Ilim  that  sitteth 
on  the  throne" — for  who  can  bear  to  meet  his  dreadful  eye /  Who 
can  endure  that  look  of  blended  dignity  and  love  and  yet  of  jus- 
tice and  righteousness  before  which  no  sinner  can  stand?  And 
who  shall  measure  the  force  of  that  marvelous  combination  of 
ideas — "  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  !"  It  is  He  of  Calvary,  the  Lamb 
slain  there,  but  here  thought  of  as  having  been  maliciously  mur- 
dered, yet  now  meeting  his  murderers  face  to  face  in  fiery  retri- 
bution !  They  had  wildly  cried,  "  His  blood  be  on  us  and  on  our 
children" — and  now  it  comes! 

Kecurring  again  to  the  application  of  this  seal  to  the  events 
shortly  preceding  the  fill  of  Jerusalem,  1  am  well  aware  that  some 
of  my  readers  will  have  the  feeling  that  the  prophecy  outmeasure.s 
the  event — is  too  grand,  too  vast,  too  terrible  to  have  had  even  a 

primary  reference  to  those  events  of  history. To  such  I  reply 

(I.)  That  history  has  one  way  of  putting  its  facts:  poetic  and 
symbolic  prophecy,  another.  History  might  tell  us  that  fifteen 
strong  cities  of  Galilee  were  carried  by  storm  and  the  masses  of 
men,  women  and  children  butchered ;  that  about  three  millions 
of  Jews,  convened  for  their  great  annual  passover,  were  crowded 
within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  when  the  Roman  legions  invested 
the  city  and  shut  them  in:  and  that  when  the  city  fell,  scarcely 
so  many  thousands  escaped — fiimine,  pestilence,  conflagration,  their 
own  sword  and  the  IJoman  sword,  had  combined  their  powers  of 
torture  and  death  to  make  this  scene  a  climax  of  horrors !  iSome- 
ivhat  of  this  sort  would  be  the  manner  of  History  in  her  record 
of  such  a  scene.  But  Poetry  in  prophecy  might  give  j'^ou  a  bird's- 
'yeview  of  the  convulsions  and  agonies  of  the  heavens  above  and 
the  earth  beneath,  and  might  paint  a  picture  of  terror  and  dread 


KEVELATION.— Cll-Vr.  VII.  lOo 

where  you  ■would  see  kings  and  princes,  chieftains  and  warriors, 
in  fearful  consternation,  rushing  to  the  mountains  and  imploring 
rocks-and  hills  to  fall  upon  thorn  and  hide  them  from  the  awful 

face  of  God  ! Now  it  may  not  be  an  easy  thing  for  us  to  place 

tiie  two  descriptions  side  by  side  and  say  which  means  the  most — 
which  outmeasures  the  other.  Men  would  probably  come  to  dif- 
ferent conclusions  upon  such  a  ([uestion,  governed  very  much  by 

the   susceptibility  of  their   minds    to  the   poetic   figures. But 

passing  this,  I  remark  (2.)  That  the  most  rational  way  of  testing 
our  main  question — whether  this  projihecy  of  the  sixth  seal  can 
be  legitimately  applied  in  its  primary  sense  to  the  fixll  of  Je- 
rusalem, is,  to  see  what  is  said  in  other  prophecies  of  the  same 
event.  I  refer  the  reader  therefore  to  the  words  of  Moses  (Lev. 
L't) :  14-39,  and  Dent.  28  :  15-08) — prophecies,  it  is  generally  con- 
ceded, equally  applicable  to  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  before  the  Ko- 
iiians  and  to  its  fall  before  the  Chaldeans.  Here  we  read — "  The 
Lord  Avill  make  thy  plagues  ivonderful,"  etc. :  "  tie  will  bring  upon 
tlice  all  the  plagues  of  Egypt  which  thou  wast  afraid  of,  and  they 
shall  cleave  to  thee;  and  every  sickness  and  every  plague  which 
is  not  icriltcn  in  the  book  of  this  law,  them  will  the  Lord  bring 

upon  thee  until  thou  be  destroyed." Moreover,  Jesus  himself 

said  (.Mat.  24:  21),  "  For  then  shall  be  great  tribulation,  such  as 
was   not  since  the   beginning  of  the  world  to  this  time,  no,  nor 

ever  shall  be." How  can  any  symbols  of  prophecy  be  thought 

to  outmeasure  this? 


0^*^00 


CHAPTER    VII. 

This  entire  chapter  is  interposed  between  the  sixth  seal  and  the 
seventh,  interrupting  for  the  time  the  regular  succession  of  the 
scenes  disclosed  by  the  opening  of  the  seals.  We  may  call  this  as 
many  have  done,  an  "  episode  ;  "  but  the  name  is  of  small  account. 
The  simple  fact  is  that  the  successive  seals  disclose  in  order  the 
judgments  to  be  sent  by  God  on  some  great  persecuting  power. 
This  is  their  theme  and  this  only.  But  here  is  a  revelation,  not 
of  judgments  on  the  guilty  but  of  blessings,  first  upon  those  Jew- 
ish converts  who  having  accepted  Christ  by  faith  are  marked  for 
exemption  from  the  judgments  coming  on  their  land;  and  next 
upon  Gehtile  converts  considered  as  "coming  out  of  great  tribula- 
tion." They  have  tlieir  sublimely  glorious  reward  around  the 
throne  of  (Jod  and  the  Lamb. ]\lore  than  one  high  moral  pur- 

i)ose  was  to  be  answered  by  the  revelations  of  this  chapter.  (1.) 
t  lifted  a  great  burden  of  solicitude  from  hearts  trembling  for  the 
ark  of  God  lest  the  almost  omnipresent  influence  of  persecution 
and  the  almost  resistless  power  lodged  in  persecuting  hands  should 


lOG  KEVELATION.-CIIAP.  VI  I. 

quench  tlic  gospel's  light  and  prevent  the  conversion  of  men  to 
(/lirist.  To  Christians,  suffering  and  terror-sti'icken,  nothing  would 
be  more  natural  than  this  feeHng  of  discouragement  under  which 
Hatan  might  tempt  them  to  despair  of  their  cause.     To  all  such, 

tliis   revelation   would   be   at  once   timely   and   precious. (2.) 

This  chapter  purposely  brings  out  near  its  close  the  ineffable 
blessedness  of  those  who  have  "gone  before"  through  lire  and 
Ilame  to  a  martyr's  death  and  a  martyr's  reward.  We  can  be  at 
no  loss  as  to  the  moral  purpose  of  these  special  revelations  of  the 
bliss  of  heaven  which  we  Und  interposed  repeatedly  in  this  book 
amid  the  predictions  of  judgment  on  persecutors.  They  bring 
down  the  grand  motive  power  of  the  heavenly  rest  to  brace  the 
tried  and  tempted  souls  of  the  persecuted  to  Christian  heroism  and 
patient  endurance,  sinking  the  agony  and  terror  of  a  martyr's 
death  out  of  sight  under  the  glories  of  that  other  world  so  near. 

1.  And  after  these  things  I  saw  four  angels  standing  on 
the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  hokling  the  four  winds  of  the 
earth,  that  the  wind  should  not  blow  on  the  earth,  nor  on 
the  sea,  nor  on  any  tree. 

"After  these  things"  [meta  tauta],  here  as  always  in  the  sense, 
very  soon,  or  perhaps  immediately  after. The  scene  would  im- 
press the  beholder  Avith  a  sense  of  God's  supreme  control  over  all 
the  harmful  as  well  as  the  wholesome  agencies  of  the  material 
world,  suggesting  also  his  use  of  angelic  power  to  any  extent  at 
his  own  wise  discretion  whenever  he  might  have  occasion  to  de- 
viate little  or  much  from  his  own  established  laws  of  nature.  This 
is  no  doubt  a  great  fact  in  the  providential  government  of  God 
over  the  universe  of  matter  and  to  some  extent  of  mind  also,  and 
is  pertinently  brought  out  in  the  disclosures  of  this  book  for  its 
bearings  upon  the  resources  of  God  for  the  protection  of  his 
friends  and  for  the  destruction  of  his  enemies. 

2.  And  I  saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the  east, 
iiaving  the  seal  of  the  living  God  :  and  he  cried  Avith  a 
loud  voice  to  the  four  angels,  to  whom  it  was  given  to 
hurt  the  earth  and  sea, 

3.  Saying,  Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the 
trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their 
foreheads. 

Another  angel  now  appears,  having  the  great  seal  of  God  to 
place  upon  his  redeemed  ones  to  mark  them  for  protection  against 
the  destructive  agencies  soon  to  be  let  loose  upon  the  land.  lie 
commands  the  angels  of  the  four  winds  to  delay  their  work  of 

devastation  till   his  work  among  God's  people  is  done. Why 

this  angel  is  seen  coming  from  the  cast  is  not  said,  and  is  there- 
fore a  question  of  pure  speculation.     We  let  such  things  pass. 


KEVELATION.— CHAP.  VII.  107 

4.  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  which  were  sealed: 
and  there  ivere  sealed  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand 
of  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

5.  Of  the  tribe  of  Juda  tvere  sealed  twelve  thousand. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben  were  scaled  twelve  thousand.  Of 
tlie  tribe  of  Gad  tvere  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

6.  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  ivere  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Nephthalim  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of 
the  tribe  of  jMauasses  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

7.  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon  icere  sealed  twelve  thousand. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Issachar  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

8.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were  scaled  twelve  thousand. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin  tvere  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

It  will  be  seen  that  these  sealed  ones  are  Jeivs.  It  is  due  to  the 
order  and  method  of  these  visions  that  the  number  from  each  trilio 
is  the  same.  There  is  no  occasion  to  press  this  to  a  literal  pre- 
cision.  In  the  names  of  the  tribes  it  is  not  sti-ange  that  Judah 

stands  first,  nor  that  idolatrous  Dan  is  omitted,  and  Manasseh  in- 
cluded along  with  Joseph  to  make  up  the  number  twelve.  The 
sins  of  Ephraim  during  the  age  of  the  revolt  may  have  ruled  his 

name  out  of  the  list. As   to   the   historic  fact  here  predicted, 

there  can  be  no  rational  doubt  that  those  are  the  fruits  of  the 
gospel  among  the  Jews  prior  to  the  fall  of  their  city  and  the  deso- 
lation of  their  land.  We  readily  recall  the  abundant  proofs  of 
God's  purpose  to  give  his  own  covenant  people  the  offers  of  gospel 
salvation  through  their  own  Messiah,  and  to  press  them  to  accept, 
long,  patiently,  earnestly,  before  he  should  cut  short  their  day  of 
salvation  and  bring  on  their  night  of  doom.  We  remember  how 
John,  the  precursor,  lifted  his  voice  throughout  all  the  thousands 
of  Judah,  preaching  repentance,  preparing  the  way  of  the  Lord; 
enjoiuing  the  people  to  believe  on  the  greater  One  to  come  after 
him.  We  remember  how  Jesus  preached  in  all  the  cities  of  (iaii- 
lee,  Samaria,  and  last  of  all  in  Judah  and  Jerusalem;  how  he  sent 
forth  his  chosen  twelve  to  "the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel;" 
how,  on  the  eve  of  his  ascension,  he  enjoined  them  to  commence 
their  world-wide  gospel  mission  by  "  bci/inning  at  Jerusalem;"  and 
how  the  apostles  exhorted  their  Jewish  hearers  to  repent  and  save 
themselves  from  that  untoward  generation  and  its  near  impending 
doom.  The  comfort  of  our  passage  lies  in  the  assurance  it  gives 
that  many  were  thus  sealed  unto  salvation.  (See  also  Acts  21  : 
20.)  Jiike  the  households  of  Israel  marked  with  the  blood  of 
sprinkling  on  the  night  of  the  first  passover  in  Egypt,  so  these 
tlioiisands  of  Israel  are  marked  for  the  passing  over  of  the  fearful 
plagues  of  the  Almighty  when  his  angels  of  desolation  should  let 
up  their  restraining  hand,  and  give  free  range  to  every  agency  of 


108  EL  >'ELATION.— CHAP.  VII. 

storm,  tempest,  li,;j;htninf2;,  hail  and  rain  upon  that  guilty  and  doomed 

people. it  mij^ht  bo  suggested  also  that  this  sealing  [marking3 

in  their  foreheads  has  also  in  view  the  scene  in  Ezek.  9,  where 
the  man  clothed  in  linen  [white]  sets  a  mark  upon  the  foreheads 
of  the  men  that  sigh  and  cry  for  the  abominations  of  Jerusalem. 

9.  After  this  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which 
no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and 
])eo])le,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and  before  the 
Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands ; 

10.  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salvation  to  our 
God  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb. 

"After  this" — i.  e.,  as  usual,  immediately  after. Plainly  this 

multitude  are  not  Israelites,  for  they  are  of  all  nations,  kindreds, 
etc.  Comprehensively  they  are  Gentiles,  and  of  course  are  con- 
verts to  Christ — saved  Gentiles,  corresponding  to  the  saved  Jewa 
already  shown  in  this  vision.  There  was  no  occasion  to  i-epresent 
them  as  sealed  in  their  foreheads,  to  be  spared  when  the  destroy- 
ing angels  sliould  go  forth,  for,  as  here  thought  of,  these  angels  are 
destined  against  the  land  of  Israel  only.  Hence  the  things  to  be 
shown  as  to  them  were  their  equal  participation  in  the  purity  and 
the  blissful  rewards  of  heaven,  their  equally  full  and  joyous  as- 
cription of  their  salvation  to  the  same  God  on  the  great  central 

throne  and  to  the  Lamb.     Precisely  this  we  have  here. The 

moral  purposes  of  this  scene  seem  to  be  the  joy  to  Christian  hearts 
that  this  class  of  the  saved  are  a  countless  multitude,  and  that  they 
are  made  welcome  to  the  full  blessedness  of  the  heavenly  world. 
It  scarcely  need  be  said  that  the  import  of  their  song,  "  Salva- 
tion to  our  God,"  etc.,  is  not  that  God  is  saved,  but  that  he  saves 
lost  men — is  not  that  salvation  goes  to  him,  but  that  it  comes  from 
him.  'J'he  glorj/  of  our  salvation  be  unto  God  and  to  the  Lamb 
for  evermore ! 

11.  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and 
about  the  elders  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before  the  throne 
on  their  faces,  and  worshiped  God, 

12.  Saying,  Amen  :  Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom, 
and  thanksgiving,  and  honor,  and  power,  and  might,  be  unto 
our  God  forever  and  ever.     Amen. 

All  the  angels,  forming  the  outer  circle  and  inclosing  the  great 
throne,  the  four  living  ones  and  the  twenty-four  elders,  now  man- 
ifest their  perfect  sympathy  and  their  profound  interest.  The 
eeven-fold  ascription,  the  staple  of  their  song,  corresponds  remark- 
ably with  the  similar  seven-fold  ascription  from  the  same  angelic 
Iiost  aa  it  appears  in  5  :  12,  yet  differing  in  the  order  of  arrange- 
ment and  in  the  substitution  of  "  thanksgiving  here  for  "riches" 
there. What  a  song!     No  wonder  Peter  should  say  (1  Eps.  1 : 


IIEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  VII.  109 

12)  of  tlio  ningnifiecnt  themes  of  cospcl  salvation — "which  things 
the  augels  desire  I  bend  over  from  the  battlements  of  the  heavenly 
city]  to  look  into.  '  And  now  when  these  matters  are  unfolded  in 
tlie  prophetic  visions  shown  in  heaven  itself,  and  illustrated  by  the 
arrival  there  of  saved  myriads,  both  Jew  and  Gentile,  why  should 
not  their  heart's  love  aud  adoration  be  poured  forth  in  glorious 
song? 

13.  And  one  of  tlic  elders  answered,  saying  unto  me, 
What  are  these  which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes?  and 
whence  came  they? 

14.  And  I  said  unto  him.  Sir,  thou  knowest.  And  he 
f»aid  to  me.  These  are  they  which  came  out  of  great  tribula- 
tion, aud  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

This  question  by  one  of  the  elders  was  intended  to  fix  the 
prophet's  attention,  and  thus  make  a  deeper  moral  impression, 
lie  would  prepare  the  prophet's  mind  for  his  own  answer.  They 
"came  out  of  great  tribulation;"  they  have  seen  sorrow,  trial,  tor- 
ture and  blood  unto  death :  but  those  white  robes  are  not  precisely 
the  crown  of  their  martyrdom  ;  tliat  whiteness  is  due  to  the  blood  cj' 
the  Lamb! Here  we  must  pause  to  think  of  the  striking  com- 
bination of  elements  in  this  figure — washing  to  a  snowy  whiteness 
in  blood.  Was  not  blood,  simple  blood,  in  that  age  as  in  this,  red, 
and  not  white?  defiling,  and  not  cleansing?  Yet  there  is  both 
fitness  and  force  in  this  marvelous  figure,  and  both  inspired  men 
on  earth  and  their  representatives  in  heaven  recognize  it  promptly. 
'I'lic  cleansing  is  moral,  not  physical;  and  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb 
tiiere  is  untold,  not  to  say  infinite,  moral  power  for  the  cleansing 
of  bouls  from  sin.  Only  by  that  blood  comes  pardon  for  the  guilty; 
only  through  the  fact  and  the  sense  of  pardon  comes  that  wondrous 
moral  transformation  by  which  trust,  gratitude  and  love  take  the 
place  in  depraved  souls  of  distrust,  fear  and  rebellion. 

15.  Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God,  and 
serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple :  and  he  that  sittcth 
on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among  them. 

16.  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more; 
neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat. 

17.  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne 
shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains 
of  waters:  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes. 

Such  are  the  heavenly  joys  of  the  saved,  especially  of  the  holy 
martyred  dead.  "Serving  him  day  and  night  in  hi.s  temple"  is 
imagery  of  Jewish  cast,  the  favored  and  honored  men  under  tho 


liU  REVELATION.— CHAP.  VII. 

Mosaic  economy  being  those  whose  service  lay  nearest  the  holy  of 
holies,  evermore  around  the  8hcchinah,  his  manifested  presence. 

"How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  Hosts  1" "Shall 

dwell  among  them"  still  has  the  ancient  earthly  system  for  its 
figurative  ground-work — the  verb  "dwell"  meaning  precisely,  shall 
spread  his  tent  or  tabernacle  over  them.  It  is  implied  that  he  too 
abides  in  the  same  tent  with  them.  How  blissful ! Compre- 
hensively there  can  be  but  two  main  sources  of  illustration  here 
in  our  earthly  prison  life  for  setting  before  us  the  blessedness  of 
tlic  heavenly  state.  I>oth  are  drawn  upon  largely  in  this  passage : 
(1.)  Negatively;  the  denial  to  it  of  all  the  forms  of  suffering  so 
well  known  on  earth:  (2.)  Positively;  the  manifested  presence, 
sympathy  and  love  of  the  Infinite  Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  all 

tiio  holy  in  that  world  of  love. The  negations  appear  in  vs.  16, 

17:  "They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more."  No 
torrid  heats  shall  light  on  them ;  no  tears  shall  ever  dim  their  eyes 

again  ! Of  course  this  list  of  negations  does  not  attempt  to  name 

ail  the  ills  of  life;   these  are  specimen  cases  to  cover  all. It 

should  be  noted  that  this  method  of  teaching  us  heaven  comes 
down  to  our  easy  and  perfect  comprehension.  It  lies  quite  within 
the  field  of  our  positive  knowledge.  Some  of  us  have  felt  the  pains 
of  human  frailty;  we  have  also  seen  the  sad  indications  of  pain  in 
the  dear  ones  we  love.     But  there  shall  be  no  more  of  it  there ! 

Nor   let  us   fail  to  note  how  exquisitely  tender  are  the  last 

words  of  this  wonderful  passage — "God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears" 
[Greek,  "every  tear"]  "from  their  eyes."  Observe  it  is  not  pre- 
cisely that  all  tears  shall  be  wiped  away;  is  not  that  they  shall 
wipe  away  their  own  tears ;  is  not  that  they  shall  wipe  away  each 
other's  tears;  is  not  that  the  angels  shall  wipe  away  the  tears  of 
weeping  saints  as  of  their  younger  brethren ;  it  is  not  even  that 
Jesus  shall  wipe  away  their  tears  (though  this  might  doubtless 
have  been  said);  but  it  is  that  the  Great  Father  puts  down  his 
own  tender  hand  and  wipes  every  tear  away !     After  this,  what 

could  be  said  more ! I3ut  we  will  not  disparage  the  other  points 

so  tenderly  put  in  this  matchless  passage.  The  Lamb  Avho  is  in 
the  midst  of  the  throne,  appearing  still  as  the  Lamb  of  Calvary — 
for  the  scenes  of  that  great  sacrifice  have  left  their  enduring  im- 
pression on  all  the  life  and  joy  of  heaven — Jesus,  their  once  cru- 
cified Redeemer,  is  still  as  ever  their  Shepherd,  and  shall  feed 
them,  and  he  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters. 
Food  for  their  mental  and  moral  nature — thought,  knowledge, 
truth,  such  revelations  of  God  and  of  God's  works  as  will  minister 
to  the  endless  growth  of  sinless  minds  around  the  throne  of  God 
shall  be  supplied  to  them  by  their  Avell-known  Shepherd.  Does 
he  not  know  every  want  of  their  being  ?  Has  he  not  constituted 
that  being,  social,  intellectual  and  moral,  and  has  he  not  nurtured 
cacli  and  all  of  its  growing  powers  on  such  scale  as  the  scenes  of 
earth  admit,  so  that  with  infinite  facility  he  can  resume  their  edu- 
cation and  carry  it  on  from  one  stage  of  progress  to  another,  all 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  VIII.  Ill 

along  tlic  iiiarcli  of  heaven's  eternal  aj!;e3?  Well,  all  this  and 
more  may  be  included  and  implied  in  tlie  simple  words — "  The 
Lamb  who  is  in  tlie  midst  of  the  throne  shaM/eed  them,  and  shall 
load  them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Unlike  either  of  the  first  six  seals  this  seventh  when  opened 
discloses  not  one  particular  s^nnbol,  indicating  a  single  event  (or 
some  special  phase  of  an  historic  period)  to  be  sketched  in  few 
words ;  but  it  discloses  an  entire  sevenfold  set  of  new  symbols ; 
in  other  Avords,  the  seventh  seal  is  itself  expanded  into  the  seven 
trumpets,  and  each  of  these  trumpets  becomes  a  distinct  symbol. 
The  object  is  manifestly  to  spread  out  the  symbols  of  judgment 
and  woe,  and  make  them  more  impressive  by  a  fuller  detail — a 

more  minute   and   extended  description. According  to  Mosaic 

law  (Num.  10:  9)  and  Hebrew  usage  (2  Chron.  13:  12)  the  great 
trumpet  was  blown  as  the  signal  of  war,  and  hence  became  a 
natural  symbol  of  calamity,  judgment. 

In  this  chapter  we  have  with  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal, 
the  solemn  silence  (v.  1);  the  seven  angels  receiving  each  his 
trumpet  (v.  2)  ;  the  symbol  of  incense  accompanying  and  repre- 
senting the  prayers  of  saints  (vs.  3,  4) ;  the  casting  of  tire  from  the 
altar  down  to  the  earth  and  the  results  (v.  5) ;  and  then  the  scenes 
which  successively  followed  the  sounding  of  the  first  four  of  these 
trumpets  (vs.  6-13). 

1.  And  when  lie  had  opened  the  seventh  seal,  there  wa.s 
silence  in  heaven  about  the  space  of  half  an  hour. 

This  is  the  silence  of  solemn,  portentous  expectation !  j\Io- 
mcntous  results  are  foretokened:  there  is  a  sense  as  of  something 
grand,  appalling,  sublime,  yet  fearful,  about  to  happen.  All 
heaven  is  still  as  if  holding  breath  with  strained  eye  to  see  what 
is  coming.  Yet  this  waiting  period  is  very  short,  for  judgments 
hasten  to  fulfill  their  mission. 

2.  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels  which  stood  before  God ; 
and  to  them  were  given  seven  trumpets. 

It  is  noticeable  that  the  original  Greek  like  our  English  version 
has  it,  not  merely  seven  angels,  but  "the  seven  angels,"  as  if  they 
were  made  definite  by  previous  mention  or  liy  some  other  circum- 
«tances  of  their  case.  Hence  those  who  take  the  "seven  spirits 
oofore  the  throne"  (I  :  4)  to  be  the  seven  archangels  explain  the 


112  KEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  VIII. 

article  here  as  referring  to  that  previous  mention.  Others  sup- 
pose them  to  be  simply  the  seven  pre-eminent  or  arcA-angels, 
assumed  to  be  somewhat  ■well  known  as  usually  or  normally 
"  standing  before  God."  This  seems  to  meet  best  all  the  con- 
ditions of  this  case :    the   seven   who   customarily  stand    nearest 

before  God  and  of  highest  rank. It  is  more  to  our  [lurpose  to 

note  that  this  is  the  truinp  of  doom ;  that  these  angels  have  the 
ministry  of  sounding  forth  each  his  message  of  fearful  forewarn- 
ing. 

o.  And  another  angel  came  and  stood  at  the  altar,  having 
a  golden  censer  ;  and  there  was  given  unto  him  mucli  in- 
cense, that  he  should  offer  it  Avith  the  prayers  of  all  saints 
upon  the  golden  altar  which  Avas  before  the  throne. 

4.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  which  came  with  the 
prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  before  God  out  of  the 
angel's  hand. 

It  results  from  the  prescribed  arrangements  for  Jewish  temple 
worship  that  prayer  is  associated  Avith  incense.  The  odors  exhaled 
from  burning  incense  ascended  before  God  in  the  hour  of  public 
prayer,  indicating  that  prayer  comes  up  before  God  with  a  pleas- 
ing and  acceptable  fragrance.     Hee  Luke  1:   10,  and  Lev.  10:  12, 

13. The  angels  seem  here  to  perform  the  functions  before  the 

altar  in  heaven  which  the  High  Priest  performed  before  the  altar 
on  earth.  Whether  this  scene  indicates  that  the  angels  offered 
their  prayers  along  with  the  prayers  of  saints  on  earth,  it  may  not 
be  possible  for  us  to  determine  with  certainty.  It  is  however 
sufliciently  clear  that  the  prayers  of  saints  on  earth  have  an  im- 
portant connection  with  (<od's  sending  forth  judgments  upon  the 
great  persecutors  of  his  Zion,  even  as  Avas  shown  on  the  opening 
of  the  fifth  seal  (6  :  9-11).  The  moral  purpose  of  this  exhibition 
we  may  assume  Avas  to  assure  those  suffering  Christians  that  God 
did  certainly  hear  their  prayer  for  the  triumph  of  his  cause  and 
the  deliverance  of  his  people,  and  for  the  destruction  of  opposing 
soAvers,  in  so  far  as  this  result  Avas  demanded  by  the  ends  of 
justice  and  victory. 

5.  And  the  angel  took  the  censei",  and  filled  it  Avith  fire 
of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  into  the  earth  :  and  there  were 
voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earth- 
quake. 

This  scene  evinces  the  close  connection  between  the  prayers 
that  go  up  from  the  stricken  souls  of  persecuted  saints,  and  the 
judgments  that  come  down  from  the  Hearer  of  prayer  upon  their 
persecutors. 

G.  And  the  seven  angels  Avhich  had  the  seven  trumpets 
prepared  themselves  to  sound. 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  VIIT.  113 

The  prnlon^cd  preparation — the  careful,  almost  slow  develop- 
ment of  the  preliminary  steps,  Ibrctukcn  the  magnitude  and  so- 
Icipnity  of  the  impending  scene. 

7.  The  first  anr^cl  sounded,  and  there  followed  hail  and 
fire  mingled  -with  blood,  and  they  were  cast  upon  the  earth  : 
and  the  third  part  of  trees  was  burnt  up,  and  all  green 
grass  was  burnt  up. 

8.  And  the  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were  a  great 
mountain  burnhig  Avith  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea:  and  the 
third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood  ; 

9.  And  tlie  third  part  of  the  creatures  which  were  in  the 
sea,  and  had  life,  died ;  and  the  third  part  of  the  ships 
were  destroyed. 

10.  And  the  third  angel  sounded,  and  there  fell  a  great 
star  from  heaven,  burning  as  it  were  a  lamp,  and  it  fell 
upon  the  third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains 
of  waters  ; 

11.  And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood  :  and 
the  third  part  of  the  waters  became  wormw^ood ;  and  many 
men  died  of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter. 

12.  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,  and  the  third  part  of 
the  sun  w^as  smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and 
the  third  part  of  the  stars  ;  so  as  the  third  part  of  them 
was  darkened,  and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it, 
and  tlie  night  likewise. 

Ixemarkably  these  first  four  trumpets  have  several  of  their  most 
prominent  points  in  common,  being  alike  in  all;  e,g.^  (1.)  That 
the  plague  denoted  by  each  has  its  own  special  sphere,  the  first 
falling  upon  the  land ;  the  second  upon  the  sea  ;  the  third  upon 
rivers  and  fountains ;  the  fourth  upon  the  heavenly  bodies  as 
sources  of  light:  and  (2.)  That  each  plague  limits  its  destructive 
agency  to  one  third  part: — one  third  part  of  the  trees  of  the  earth 
Avere  burned  up ;  one  third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood ;  one 
third  part  of  the  living  creatures  in  the  sea  died  ;  one  third  part 
of  the  ships  on  the  great  waters  were  destroyed;  the  great  star 
from  heaven  fell  on  the  third  part  of  the  rivers  and  fountains ; 
one  third  part  of  the  waters  became  wormwood ;  one  third  part 
of  the  sun,  moon  and  stars  was  smitten,  and  one  third  of  the 
light  of  day  and  night  also  was  cut  off.  Now  it  seems  olivious 
that  this  definite  i-cgularity  is  due  to  the  infiuence  of  the  idea  of 
order  over  these  symbols,  and  must  not  be  supposed  to  measure 
"with  just  this  precision  the  extent  of  these  several  plagues.  Nor 
inde(^d  need  we  expect  to  locate  these  judgments  in  actual  history, 
tlie  first  installment  upon  the  earth  ;  tlie  second  upon  the  sea;  the 
third  upon  rivers  and  fountains  ;  and  the  fourth  upon  the  great 


114  REVELATION.— CIIAr.  VIII. 

lights  of  heaven.  To  assume  and  expect  this  would  be  to  mis- 
conceive the  true  purpose  of  such  symbolic  representations.  Much 
less  as  it  seems  to  me  are  we  authorized  to  map  out  these  succes- 
sive trumpets  on  the  grand  chart  of  human  history,  giving  to  the 
first  a  section  of  from  two  to  iive  hundred  years,  more  or  less;  to 
the  second  another  successive  section  of  either  fixed  or  variable 
length,  applying  every  point  of  these  symbols  to  some  supposed 
analogous  event,  etc.  Home  have  done  this,  with  immense  labor, 
but  with  ever  varying  results.  It  is  simply  impossible  that  such 
speculations  in  searching  out  some  analogies  between  these  sym- 
bols and  the  history  of  the  long  ages  since  the  Christian  era,  can  ever 
be  harmonious,  or  very  satisfactory  to  any  but  those  who  have 
made  them.  The  fatal  vice  in  them  all  is  that  their  very  con- 
struction of  these  symbols  makes  them  a  labyrinth  of  mysteries. 
Then,  having  made  them  such,  they  try  to  find  a  path  through 
and  out,  with  absolutely  no  thread  to  guide  them.  They  begin 
tlie  study  of  the  whole  book  by  ignoring  or  ruling  out  the  land- 
marks, or  to  retain  the  figure,  the  guiding  thread  which  marks  the 
pathway  through. 

J  Jut  let  us  return  to  the  symbols  of  our  passage.  To  some  ex- 
tent they  seem  to  imitate  tlie  plagues  on  Egypt;  especially  the 
first,  the  plague  of  hail;  the  second,  the  waters  turned  to  blood; 
the  third  is  analogous;  the  fourth  bears  a  resemblance  to  the 
plague  of  darkness,  or  rather  it  follows  the  general  law  of  poetic 

imagery  by  which  darkness  represents  calamity. The  "  great 

mountain  burning  with  fire,  cast  into  the  sea,"  suggests  volcanic 
eruptions  as  its  source ;  the  great  star  burning  as  a  lamp  falling 
from  heaven  has  its  prototype  at  long  intervals  in  those  startling 
manifestations  in  the  heavens  which  have  the  appearance  of  being 
great   world-conflagrations,  burning   for   months   with   surprising 

brilliancy,  and  then  becoming  extinct  forever! Inverse  11  the 

waters  that  became  wormwood  were  not  only  bitter  but  poisonous. 

In  verse  12  it  becomes  a  question,  in  reference  to  the  day  and 

the  night,  whether  the  language  means  that  one-third  of  the  usual 
period  of  each  was  made  absolutely  dark;  or  that  one-third  of 
their  ordinary  light  was  withdrawn,  leaving  but  two-thirds  of  the 
average  amount  shining.  The  latter  seems  most  probable,  this 
being  the  natural  result  of  obscuring  one-third  part  of  those  lu- 
minous bodies  from  which  day  and  night  obtain  their  light. As 

has  been  said,  all  these  symbols  indicate  calamit}^,  judgment.  I 
can  not  regard  it  as  demanded  of  the  interpreter  that  ho  make  up 
a  series  of  historic  facts  which  shall  precisely  match  these  sym- 
bols one  by  one  and  measure  accurately  to  each  its  amount  of 
woe,  as  inllictcd  on  each  city,  or  each  generation,  or  in  each  year. 
Suffice  it  that  Jesus  himself  in  his  predictions  of  the  full  of  Jeru- 
salem and  its  premonitory  indications  (Mat.  24,  and  its  parallel 
passages)  has  drawn  a  picture  strikingly  similar  to  this.  Let  it 
also  suffice  that  history  fills  the  interval  of  some  ten  years,  more 
or  less,  before  the  final  fall  of  the  cit}^,  with  scenes  of  alarm,  ter- 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  IX.  115 

ror,  outrage,  calamity,  carnari;o,  crime,  and  -woe,  to  which  theso 
sjiiihols  correspond  with  a  precision  that  seems  to  me  to  leave 
nothing  more  to  be  desired. 

13.  And  I  beheld,  and  heard  an  angel  flying  through 
the  midst  of  heaven,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Woe,  w'oe, 
woe,  to  the  iuhabiters  of  the  earth  by  reason  of  the  other 
voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels,  which  are  yet  to 
sound ! 

The  best  authorities  read  the  text  eagle  instead  of  "  angel " — 
the  sense  being  no  douljt  an  angel  Hying  eagle-like  through  mid- 
heaven.  His  mission  was  to  pre-intimate  yet  more  fearful  woes 
upon  the  sounding  of  tlie  last  tliree  trumpets.  Ilcncc  these  last 
three  are  frequently  designated  "  woe-trumpets." 


o^«>^c 


CIIAFTEll   IX. 

This  chapter  gives  us  tiie  fifth  and  sixth  trumpets,  spoken  of 
sometimes  as  the  first  and  second  of  the  woe-trumpets. 

1.  And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star  fall 
from  heaven  unto  the  earth :  and  to  him  was  given  the  key 
of  the  bottomless  pit. 

2.  And  he  opened  the  bottomless  pit ;  and  there  arose  a 
."moke  out  of  the  pit,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace ;  and 
the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by  reason  of  the  smoke 
of  the  pit. 

This  "star"  represented  a  conscious  intelligent  agent,  for  he  re- 
ceives the  key  of  the  pit  of  the  abyss  and  proceeds  to  open  it.  He 
is  one  of  God's  angels,  brilliant  and  distinguished  like  a  star. 
For  the  figure  we  may  compare  Num.  24  :  17:  "There  shall  come 
a  Star  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  Scepter  shall  rise  out  of  Israel  and 
shall  smite  the  corners  of  Moab,"  etc. 

3.  And  there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts  upon  the 
earth  :  and  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the  scorpions 
of  the  earth  have  power. 

4.  And  it  Avas  commanded  them  that  they  should  not 
liurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  neitlier  any  green  thing,  neither 
any  tree  ;  but  only  tlio.se  men  which  have  not  the  seal  of 
God  in  their  foreheads. 


116  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  IX. 

Tills  may  not  mean  that  the  Sraoko  generated  the  locusts,  nor 
that  the  locusts,  coining  up  in  a  dense  cloud,  were  at  first  mis- 
taken for  smoke,  but  Avere  ultimately  seen  to  he  only  locusts;  but 
rather  that  the  issuing  smoke  was  the  natural  product  of  a  burn- 
ing pit  and  that   the   locusts  came   up  with  the   smoke   and   so 

emerged  from  it. Their  poAver  was  like  that  of  scorpions — to 

torment  rather  than  to  kill.  That  is,  while  they  were  nearly  lo- 
custs in  form  and  general  apperance,  they  were  essentially  scor- 
pions in  their  power  and  functions.  This  special  feature  is 
brought  out  yet  more  defmitcly  by  explicit  statement  (vs.  4  and  5). 

Naturally  locusts  are  destructive  to  grass,  green  things  and 

trees,  subsisting  on  such  food ;  but  these  are  commissioned  to  hurt 
only  men,  and  of  men,  only  those  who  had  not  the  seal  of  God  in 
their  foreheads — a  circumstance  which  closely  connects  this  seal 
and  its  events  with  the  scenes  of  chap.  7.  The  sealing  there  was 
jireparatory  to  the  exemption  from  the  plagues  revealed  here. 
This  fact  forbids  us  to  divorce  that  marking  of  good  men  which 
lies  between  the  sixth  seal  and  the  seventh  from  this  symbol  of 
torment  which  belongs  to  the  fifth  trumpet.  It  would  be  a  reckless 
severing  of  this  intimate  connection  to  interpret  the  four  inter- 
vening trumpets  (chap.  8)  as  sweeping  us  on  over  whole  centuries 
of  the  history  of  our  world,  to  find  the  scenes  of  the  fifth  trumpet 
afar  down  ages  beyond  the  marking  of  good  men  for  exemption 
from  its  plagues  as  given  in  chapter  7. 

5.  And  to  them  it  was  given  that  they  should  not  kill 
them,  but  that  they  should  be  tormented  five  months :  and 
their  torment  ivas  as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion,  when  he 
striketh  a  man. 

G.  And  in  those  days  shall  men  seek  death,  and  shall 
not  find  it ;  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  flee 
from  them. 

Here  the  significance  of  the  symbol  is  brought  out  yet  more 
fully.  They  are  not  to  kill  but  to  hurt — not  to  take  life  but  to 
take  from  it  all  its  joys  and  leave  men  longing  for  a  death  that 

will  not  come  to  their  relief! We  can  not  be  far  from  the 

truth  when  Ave  apply  this  fearful  symbol  of  Avoe  to  those  demoniac 
passions  that  burned  in  human  hearts  and  fired  them  to  madness 
and  agony  in  the  early  months  of  that  aAvful  siege  of  the  city  of 
Jerusalem.  It  was  hell  uncapped  and  its  ministries  of  torment 
sent  up  in  clouds  to  smite  their  maddening  stings  into  the  guilty 
souls  of  men.  Whoever  will  read  the  accoutit  of  those  conflicts 
and  feuds,  or  rather,  of  that  infuriate  madness  which  set  brother 
against  brother,  father  against  son,  and  son  against  father,  and 
turned  the  myriad  SAVords  and  daggers  of  her  Avarriors  one  against 
another,  making  the  sah'ation  of  the  city  impossible,  and  its  un- 
utterable ruin  ineA'itable  ;  and  then  AA'ill  consider  for  a  moment 
hoAV  this  must  have  stricken  doAvn  all  hope  in  every  JcAvish  bosom, 


HEVELATIOX.-CIIAP.  IX.  117 

nnd  palsied  every  arm,  and  made  life  intolerable,  will  see  a  strik- 
ing; harmony  between  the   prophetic   portrayin;;:;  and  the  historic 

Tacts. Other  prophecy  had  touched   these   prominent  features 

of  this  awful  scene.  Moses  had  written  (Dent.  28:  06,  67):  "And 
thy  life  shall  hanu;  in  doubt  before  thee,  and  thou  shalt  fear  day 
and  night  and  shalt  have  none  assurance  of  thy  life:  in  the  morn- 
ing thou  shalt  say,  AVould  (Jod  it  were  evening!     And  at  evening. 

Would   God   it  were   morning!" Jesus   also,   as   recorded   by 

Luke  (21  :  23-20):  "There  shall  be  great  distress  upon  the  land 
and  wrath  upon  the  people :  upon  the  earth  distress  of  nations 
with  perplexity,  the  sea  and  the  waves  roaring;  men's  hearts  fail- 
ing them  for  fear  and  for  looking  after  those  things  which  are 
coming  on  the  earth;   for  the  powers  of  heaven  shall  be  shaken." 

7.  And  the  shapes  of  the  locust.?  were  like  unto  horses 
prepared  unto  battle ;  and  on  their  heads  tvere  as  it  were 
crowns  like  gold,  and  their  faces  ivere  as  the  faces  of  men, 

8.  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women,  and  their 
teeth  "were  as  the  teeth  of  lions. 

9.  And  they  had  breastplates,  as  it  were  breastplates  of 
iron  ;  and  the  sound  of  their  wings  7oas  as  tiie  sound  of  char- 
iots of  many  horses  running  to  battle. 

10.  And  they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions,  and  there 
were  stings  in  their  tails ;  and  their  power  ivas  to  hurt 
men  five  months. 

These  descriptive  features  combine  to  make  up  a  most  appalling 

picture. Five  months  was  the  normal  life-period  of  the  locust. 

Tiiis  limit  of  time  is  therefore  probably  due  to  this  fact,  rather 
than  to  the  precise  duration  of  the  historic  events  to  which  the 
symbol  looks.  Home  critics  stretch  this  period  of  five  months  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  on  the  baseless  assumption  that  a  day 
in  prophecy  is  a  year  in  history  and  in  fact.  Such  theorists  are 
respectfully  requested  to  study  Dissertation  I,  at  the  close  of  this 
volume. 

11.  And  they  had  a  king  over  them,  which  is  the  angel 
of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  is 
Abaddon,  but  in  the  Greek  tongue  hath  his  name  ApoUyon. 

12.  One  woe  is  past ;  and,  behold,  there  come  two  woes 
more  hereafter. 

These  ministehs  of  torment,  coming  u))  from  the  great  pit  of  the 
nbysa,  are  marshaled  and  led  on  by  a  king  whose  name  signifies 
'JVie  I)es/ro7/er.  This  entire  symljol  of  the  fifth  trumpet,  and  more 
particularly  this  one  feature  of  it — their  king  Apollyon — seem  to 
nhow  that  CJod  employs  the  spirits  of  darkness  as  his  ministers  of 
vengeance  and  judgment  upon  the  incorrigibly  guilty  in  this  world 
even — perhaps  as  foreshadowing  their  similar  service  of  tortm-in^ 


L18  KEVELATION.— CHAP,  IX. 

tlio  wicked  in  the  ffreat  prison-house  of  woe  in  the  world  to  come. 
Lot  no  one  think  of  the  devil  as  too  good  to  torment  his  victims — 
too  good  to  lead  on  the  agents  and  ministers  of  torture  to  madden 
and  desolate  human  souls,  either  in  earth  or  hell,  in  this  world  or 
the  next! 

13.  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded,  and  I  heard  a  voice 
from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar  which  is  belbre 
God, 

14.  Saying  to  the  sixth  angel  which  had  the  trumpet, 
Loose  the  four  angels  which  are  bound  in  the  great  river 
Euphrates, 

The  sixth  trumpet  corresponds  closely  in  general  significance 
with  the  fifth,  difiering  chiefly  in  the  respect  of  a  manifest  advance ; 

for  while  that  was  only  torture,  this  is  actual  death. That  tiiis 

voice  comes  from  the  golden  altar  indicates  again  how  close  the 
connection  is  between  the  prayers  of  saints  sufifcring  under  perse- 
cution and  these  judgments  of  Clod  upon  their  persecutors.  Com- 
pare 6:  9-11,  and  8:  3-6. That  the  four  angels  of  destruction 

are  loosed  from  the  great  river  Euphrates  is  obviously  an  histor- 
ical allusion,  either  to  Nebuchadnezzar  or  to  Cyrus,  and  most 
naturally  to  the  former,  since  (Jod  raised  him  up  as  his  servant  to 
scourge  his  ancient  people  in  that  age  of  their  deep  and  desperate 
apostasy.  The  analogies  between  that  age  and  this  were  in  many 
points  most  obvious :  hence  the  pertinence  of  this  symbol  which 
I)rings  up  God's  agents  of  desolation  from  the  same  quarter.  The 
lloman  arms  were  only  a  second  edition  of  the  lierce  and  terrible 
Chaldeans,  sent  of  God  to  scourge  a  like  guilty  and  hopeless  apos- 
tasy from  the  God  of  their  fathers. 

15.  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed,  which  Avere  prepared 
for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year,  for  to  slay 
the  third  jDart  of  men. 

16.  And  the  number  of  the  army  of  the  horsemen  ivere 
two  hundred  thousand  thousand :  and  I  heard  the  number 
of  them. 

The  time  is  limited,  the  period  short;  so  were  the  scenes  of  the 
siege  and  fall  of  Jerusalem.  The  symbols  thus  far  seem  to  con- 
template only  its  earlier  stages,  not  its  final  catastrophe. The 

numbers  of  horsemen  are  astonishingly  great — so  great  that  no 
human  eye  could  estimate  them;  but  the  prophet  says  that  he 
heard  the  number  stated.  We  are  left  to  imagine  how  thrilling 
this  scene  must  have  been. 

17.  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision,  and  them 
that  sat  on  them,  having  breastplates  of  fire,  and  of  jacinth, 
and  brimstone :   and  the  heads  of  the  horses  ivere  as  the 


EEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  IX.  119 

heads  of  lions;  and  out  of  their  mouths  issued  fire  and 
smoke  and  brimstone. 

18.  By  these  three  was  tlie  third  part  of  men  killed,  by 
tlie  fire,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone,  which 
issued  out  of  their  mouths. 

19.  For  their  power  is  in  tlieir  mouth,  aud  in  their  tails : 
for  their  tails  were  like  uuto  serpents,  and  had  heads,  and 
with  them  they  do  hurt. 

Tt  is  remarkable  that  altlioiigli  the  numl)or  of  this  army  of  cav- 
rilry  is  so  enormous,  yet  little  is  apparently  made  of  the  martial 
force  of  the  riders — the  horsemen;  none  of  tlieir  features  IjciuLi; 
<;iven  save  their  breastplates;  while  the  description  of  the  horses 
is  very  minute,  and  their  destructive  force  is  terrible.  These  cir- 
cumstances may  be  in  part  ascribed  to  the  fact  that  the  Jews  never 
liad  cavalry  of  their  own  for  war,  but  had  some  bitter  and  woll- 
remembercd  experience  of  the  terror  of  this  arm  of  military  strength. 
Hence  such  a  representation  as  this  Avould  be  fearfully  impressive. 

In   the  fulfilling  history,  the  shock  of  the  Ixoman  arms  was 

terrible.  It  brought  down  upon  the  Jewish  state  and  society  a 
power  which  they  could  by  no  means  resist. 

20.  And  the  rest  of  the  men  which  were  not  killed  b}' 
these  plagues  yet  repented  not  of  the  works  of  their  hands, 
that  they  should  not  w^orship  devils,  and  idols  of  gold,  and 
silver,  and  brass,  aud  stone,  and  of  wood;  which  neither  can 
see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk  : 

21.  Neither  repented  they  of  their  murder.?,  nor  of  their 
sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts. 

The  men  not  killed  by  these  plagues  refused  to  repent.  With 
one  heart  they  persisted  to  the  last  in  their  rebellion  against  Cod 
and  in  their  mad  infatuation.  Hence  there  could  be  no  reversal 
of  their  doom,  nor  any  long  suspension  in  this  series  of  desolating 

jilagues. The  description  of  their  sins  names  the   worship  of 

devils  and  of  senseless  idols,  because,  of  all  sins  known  to  the 
Hebrew  prophets,  these  liad  been  most  abominable  and  offensive 
to  God.  It  can  not  be  certainly  inferred  that  the  crimes  of  the 
Jews  which  filled  their  cup  of  national  guilt  to  its  brim  in  the  age 
here  referred  to  were  precisely  of  this  form.  The  terms  of  the 
description  are  historic  in  their  origin,  taking  their  shape  from  the 
ancient  prophets.  Their  actual  sins  indicated  a  strength  of  moral 
hardihood  in  rebellion  against  (rod,  a  depth  of  depravity,  a  des- 
peration in  their  stand  against  Jesus  of  Nazai'eth,  altogether  sur- 
passing the  worst  idolatries  of  the  old  prophetic  ages.  The  fact 
that  under  the  most  fearful  scourging  they  would  not  repent,  suf- 
ficed to  seal  their  doom;  and  now  its  consummation  hastens  on 
aiKice. 


120  REVELATION.— CHAP.  X. 


C  HA  FT  Eli   X. 

This  short  chapter,  unsurpassed  in  the  magnificence  of  its  scenes, 
is'rcmarkalile  for  its  introduction  of  new  imagery.  The  old  sym- 
bolism which  in  its  general  outline  has  been  constantly  before  us 
through  chapters  .5-*J  is  now,  not  perhaps  entirely  dropped,  but 
greatly  modified  by  the  appearance  of  new  elements.  Conse- 
quently we  have  new  questions  of  interpretation  to  grapple  with. 
But  let  it  be  suggested  that  in  so  far  as  these  questions  per- 
tain rather  to  the  drapery  of  the  vision  than  to  its  contents  and 
subject-matter,  their  importance  is  only  secondary,  and  is  not  vital. 
Yet  it  must  be  a  matter  of  some  interest  to  look  into  these  ques- 
tions of  drapery  and  symbol. Thus  we  have  here  the  questions  : 

(1.)  Who  is  this  mighty  angel?  the  Son  of  God  himself,  or  some 
archangel?  (2.)  What  is  this  little  book?  what  are  its  contents? 
what  its  relations  to  the  first  book  (chap.  5),  and  what  (if  any)  to 
the  second  part  of  this  book  of  Revelation  (chaps.  12-19)?  (3.) 
What  was  said  by  "the  seven  thunders?"  and  if  their  sayings  are 
not  to  be  even  conjectured,  why  did  they  speak  at  all,  and  why  is 
any  thing  said  of  their  speaking?  (4.)  What  is  meant  by  the  two- 
fold result  of  eating  this  book,  the  sweetness  and  the  bitterness  ? 
To  these  questions  we  will  give  some  attention  in  their  place. 

More  vitally  important  than  any  mere  question  of  costume  is  the 
fact  that  this  chapter  comes  in  here  to  apprise  us  that  the  grand 
catastrophe  is  near — that  the  long  delayed  and  final  blow  is  about 
to  fall.  The  blast  of  the  seventh  trumpet,  closing  out  the  contents 
of  the  seventh  seal,  will  cut  short  and  complete  the  fearful  work 
of  retribution  on  the  first  grand  enemy  of  Christianity.  The  event 
is  of  such  importance  as  to  justify  these  solemn  premonitions  by 

means  of  this  new  and  magnificent  imagery. Hence  in  this 

chapter  we  have  a  mighty  angel  coming  down  from  heaven,  and 
his  appearance  (v.  1);  his  little  book  and  his  attitude  (v.  2);  the 
speaking  of  the  seven  thunders  which  was  not  to  be  recorded  (vs.  3, 
4);  the  solemn  oath  of  this  mighty  angel  and  its  import  (vs.  5-7); 
the  taking  and  eating  of  the  book  and  its  effect  (vs.  8-10) ;  with 
an  intimation  to  the  prophet  of  his  further  work  (v.  11). 

1.  And  I  saw  another  niiglity  angel  come  down  from 
heaven,  clothed  with  a  cloud :  and  a  rainbow  ^cas  u^Don  his 
head,  and  his  face  was  as  it  were  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as 
piUars  of  fire  : 

The  reader  will  notice  that  the  standpoint  of  the  seer  is  some- 
what changed.  From  chapter  4  onward,  his  point  of  view  is 
mainly  in  heaven,  save  that  his  sweep  sometimes  seems  to  em- 
brace earth  as  well;  but  liere  he  sees  an  "angel  come  down  from 
heaven  " — i.  e.,  to  the  earth  upon  which  the  seer  is  supposed  to 
stand. One  "  mighty  angel'   has  been  seen  before  (5  :  2)  where 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  X.  121 

our  Englisli  version  lias  "stronji;,"  but   the  CJi-eck  has   the   same 

word  as  here. "  The  rainbow,"  it  sliould  be  read,  perhaps  in 

the  sense,  the  rainlww  par  cxeellencc,  in  its  highest  splendor  and 
jrlory.  "  Ilis  face  as  the  sun  "  corresponds  to  the  description  of 
"the  Son  of  man"  (1:  It)),  and  not  essentially  unlike  ai"e  hia 
feet;  here,  "as  pillars  of  lire;  "  there,  "like  unto  fine  brass  as  if 

they  burned  in   a   furnace." AVas  this  "other  mighty  angel" 

truly  the  Son  of  man,  or  some  lofty  archangel  ?  I  incline  strongly 
to  the  former  opinion,  induced  by  the  majesty  of  his  appearance, 
by  the  close  analogy  between  this  description  and  that  given  of 
Je.sus  Christ  in  1  :  13-16  ;  by  the  fact  that  Jesus  appropriately 
has  the  custody  of  the  book  of  destiny;  as  in  5  :  7,  and  6  :  1,  etc., 
so  liere  also;  and  further,  that  when  Jesus  becomes  a  messenger, 
bringing  down  the  book  of  destiny  from  heaven  to  earth,  he  may 
very  fitly  be  termed  an  angel.  This  corresponds  with  Old  Testa- 
ment usage.     (See  Ex.  23:  20-23,  and  elsewhere.) 

2.  And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  oj^en  :  and  he 
set  his  ri^jdit  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  Im  left  foot  on  the 
earth, 

Questions  of  secondary  interest  cluster  alx)ut  this  "little  book," 
claiming  only  a  brief  attention.  Of  these  the  main  one  is —  WItat 
were  its  contents  ?  Did  it  comprise  the  second  great  division  of 
this  book  of  Ixcvelation,  i.  c,  chaps.  12-19?  Or  was  it  only  a 
codicil  or  supplement  to  the  first  book  with  its  seven  seals,  or  pos- 
sildy,  what  remained  of  that  first  book  itself,  but  brought  forward 
prominently  here  only  to  reveal  the  great  lact  of  this  chapter — • 
the  immediate  ajiproach  of  the  grand  catastrophe — the  fact  of  no 
more  delay,  but  the  terrible  execution  of  the  long  impending  venge- 
ance ? 1  am  drawn  to  the  latter  view  by  the  following  con- 
siderations: (1.)  No  "book"  of  destiny  appears  in  the  imagery 
tiiroughout  chaps.  12-11).  (2.)  If  this  "little  book"  comprised  those 
^•hapter.s,  it  would  not  be  little  relatively  to  the  first,  hut  great.  {'.'>.) 
'i'liis  l)ook  appears  at  first  as  "  open,"  indicating  that  its  contents 
are  fairly  out;  not  shut  up;  a  circumstance  appropriate  if  its 
contents  were  the  things  brought  out  in  this  chapter,  but  inaj)- 
propriate  if  they  were  the  events  of  chaps.  12-18.  (4.)  It  will 
seem  incongruous  and  unaccountable  that  a  little  book,  pregnant 
with  the  prophecies  of  Kome  (chaps.  12-18),  should  be  brought  to 
view  here,  on  the  very  eve  of  the  great  catastrophe  of  Judaism, 
where  we  naturally  look  for  concentration  of  thought  upon  this 
near  impending  and  most  appalling  event.  This  latter  considera- 
tion has  chief  influence  on  my  mind  to  restrain  me  from  finding 
Uome  in  this  "little  book." 

The  point  made  above  (No.  3)  somewhat  fiivors  the  opinion 
that  this  book  is  essentially  the  same  as  the  first,  now  appearing 
pmall  because  the  greater  part  of  its  contents  have  been  disposed 
of.  It  is  significantly  said  to  be  "open,"  or  rather  as  the  partici- 
ple strictly  means  opened,  laid  open — all  its  seven  seals  broken,  and 
6 


122  REVELATION.— CIIAr.  X. 

all  its  contents  now  disclosed.  It  is  no  longer  a  book  scaled  with 
seven  seals  but  a  book  with  all  its  seals  broken.  It  is  in  the 
same  hand  as  when  seen  before  in  heaven.  lie  brinies  it  down 
now  for  the  special  purpose  of  niakini:;  the  solemn  proclamation 
by  the  sacred  oath  that  the  time  of  vengeance — the  time  to  fulfill 
the  last  terrible  judgment  included  in  this  l)ook — has  come. 

The  grandeur  of  his  attitude — his  right  foot  on  the  sea  and  bis 
left  on  the  land — revealed  him  as  the  mighty  Lord  of  all,  Maker 
nnd  Sovereign  of  worlds. 

3.  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a  lion  roareth  : 
and  when  he  had  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered  their  voices. 

4.  And  when  tlie  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices, 
I  was  about  to  write :  and  I  lieard  a  voice  from  heaven 
sayiug  unto  me,  Seal  up  those  things  which  the  seven  thun- 
ders uttered,  and  write  them  not. 

"He  cried  as  a  lion  roai'cth  ;  " — the  word  "when"  given  in  our 

English  version  is  omitted  by  all  the  best  authorities. The  word 

rendered  "uttered"  is  commonly  used  of  speaking  articulate 
Avords  and  not  of  making  inarticulate  sounds.  These  thunders 
(always  in  the  best  manuscripts  "  the  seven  thunders,"  v.  3)  speak 
audible,  intelligible  words,  and  therefore  John  at  iirst  supposed 
they  were  tD  be  written  down.  The  command  to  "seal  them" 
seems   to  have    meant  only — forbear  to  write   them ;    seal  them 

up  in  thine  heart ;  put  no  word  they  have  spoken  on  paper. ■ 

Why  was  this  ?  If  it  were  wrong  for  us  to  conjecture,  why  did 
they  speak  at   all  and  why  was   so   much   recorded    about  their 

speaking  ? 1  have  no  conjecture  to  offer  save  this — that  they 

spake,  as  none  but  the  seven  thunders  could  speak,  of  the  final 
fall  of  Jerusalem,  and  that  the  suppression  of  their  words  harmo- 
nizes essentially  with  the  manner  in  which  the  sounding  of  the 
seventh  angel  is  given  (11:  15),  i.  e.,  by  implication  rather  than 
by  explicit  assertion;  by  giving  only  the  thrill  of  joy  it  sent 
through  heaven,  and  not  the  dark,  sad  aspect  of  woful  desolation 
as  viewed  on  the  side  of  human  suffering,  or  the  wreck  of  the  once 
sacred  city  and  temple. 

5.  And  the  angel  which  I  saw  stand  upon  the  sea  and 
upon  the  earth  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven, 

6.  And  sware  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  who 
^'.reated  heaven,  and  the  things  that  thei'ein  are,  and  the 
earth,  and  the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  sea,  and  the 
things  which  are  therein,  that  there  should  be  timie  no 
longer : 

7.  But  in  the  days  of  tlie  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when 
he  shall  begin  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God  shall  be  fin- 
ished, as  he  hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets. 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  X.  123 

"Lifted  up  his  lumd  "  in  the  improved  text  becomes  his  right 
hand.  Lifting  the  hand  toward  lieaven  was  the  form  of  the  sol- 
pinn  oatii,  said  of  Abraham  ((Jen.  1-t:  22),  and  repeatedly  of  (Jod 
himself  (Ex.  6:  8,  and  Num.  10:  30,  and  Dent.  32:  40).  The  last 
named  passage  is  emphatic :  "  For  I  lift  up  my  hand  to  heaven 
and  say,  1  live  forever!  If  I  whet  my  glittering  sword  and 
mine  hand  take  hold  on  judgment,"  etc.  The  coincidence  of 
tliought  as  well  as  language  suggests  that  this  awful  passage  may 
have  been  in  the  mind  of  the  august  speaker  in  the  verse  before 

us. "  That  there  shall  be  time  no  longer  "  does  not  mean,  no 

more  time  as  compared  with  eternity,  i.  e.,  no  longer  probation  for 
the  race  on  this  earth  ;  but  it  means  precisely,  no  longer  delay  in 
the  execution  of  the  doom  threatened  upon  the  great  enemy  of 
Christ's  kingdom.     The  delay  has  already  been   long:  it  can  bo 

protracted  no  longer! In  verse  7,  the   translation,  "When  he 

shall  begin  to  sound,"  is  not  accurate.  The  original  neither  makes 
nor  implies  any  distinction  between  the  l)oginning  of  his  sounding 
and  the  later  or  closing  periods  of  it.  The  precise  sense  is,  who 
shall  sound  very  soon,  or  more  fully,  when  he  shall  sound,  which 
will  be  very  soon.  This  (Jreek  future  is  made  by  a  special  verb 
[incllo']  for  which  we  have  no  precise  e(tuivalcnt,  but  which  is  used 
with  another  verb  in  the  infinitive  to  qualify  it  as  we  use  an  ad- 
verb, and  which  indicates  a  future  event  close  at  hand.  Examples 
are  abundant,  e.  g.,  "  ready  to  die"  (Luke  7:2);  "at  the  point  of 
death"  (John  4:  47),  the  same  Greek  words  as  the  preceding; 
"were  almost  ended"  (Acts  21:  27);  "the  things  that  remain 
which  are  ready  to  die"  (Kev.  3:  2).  So  here,  "Who  is  ready  to 
sound,"  on  the  very  point  of  sounding,  and  when  he  shall  do  so, 
tlien  "shall  the  mystery  of  (Jod  be  finished." This  word  "mys- 
tery "  is  used  by  the  New  Testament  writers  of  things  revealed  by 
the  Old  Testament  prophets  wliich  were  otherwise  inscrutable  to 
human  vision.  Here  the  word  refers  to  tlie  judgments  long  before 
predicted  against  the  Jewish  city  and  nation  for  their  persistent 
and  most  guilty  rejection  of  their  Messiah,  as  in  the  last  two 
chapters  of  Isaiah.  [See  my  notes  on  those  chapters.]  The  lan- 
guage here  does  not  naturally  imply  (as  some  have  supposed)  that 
all  the  prophecies  given  by  the  old  prophets  were  then  to  be  ful- 
filled, but  only  this  special  judgment  which  had  been  foreshown 
by  the  prophets  respecting  the  retributive  judgment  of  God  on  that 
people,  once  his  own  by  covenant,  but  then  fearfully,  utterly, 
hopelessly  apostate. 

8.  And  the  voice  ■which  I  heard  from  heaven  .spake  unto 
me  again,  and  said,  Go  and  take  tlie  little  book  which  is 
open  in  the  hand  of  the  angel  which  standeLh  upon  the  sea 
and  upon  the  earth. 

9.  And  I  went  unto  the  angel,  and  said  unto  him,  Give 
me  the  little  book.     And  he  .said  unto  me,  Take  it,  and  eat 


124  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XI. 

it  up  ;  and  it  shall  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  it  shall  be 
in  thy  mouth  sweet  as  lioncy. 

10.  And  I  took  the  little  book  out  of  the  angel's  hand, 
and  ate  it  up ;  and  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as  honey : 
and  as  soon  as  I  had  eaten  it,  my  belly  was  bitter. 

To  cat  a  book  is  to  take  its  contents  into  tlie  mind  and  consider 
tliem  diliijcntly,  or  to  keep  up  the  fiiiure,  "inwardly  digest"  tlicni. 

This  symbol  is  imitated  IVom  Ezck.  2. On  the  question,  What 

precisely  is  meant  by  its  being  sweet  in  the  mouth  but  bitter  and 
painful  after  being  sM'allowed,  we  must  choose  between  these 
alternatives:  (1.)  Pleasant  in  its  first  impressions  and  in  the  first 
view  taken  of  it,  but  painful  in  the  subsequent  reflection  upon  it. 
Or  (2.)  That  some  of  its  revelations  were  joyous  and  some  were 
sad;  or  which  amounts  nearly  to  the  same  tiling — that  this  great 
event  would  be  joyful  in  some  of  its  aspects  and  relations  but  sad 

and  afflictive  in  other  aspects  of  it. i  incline  to  the  latter  view 

which  certainly  applies  forcibly  to  the  great  truth  which  was  tlie 
chief  if  not  the  only  burden  of  this  little  book — viz.,  the  ruin  of 
the  city,  temple,  and  civil  state  of  the  Jews.  This  event,  seen  in 
its  relations  to  the  progress  and  triumphs  of  Christianity — seen  aa 
a  sublime  manifestation  of  Cod's  righteous  retribution  upon  a  most 
guilty  people — was  glorious  to  God  and  fraught  with  success  and 
victory  to  Christ's  kingdom :  but  seen  on  the  side  of  the  human 
sufferings  involved  in  it — seen  in  the  light  of  the  hallowed  associa- 
tions of  every  Jew  with  the  sacred  temple,  the  holy  city,  the  homes 
and  the  sepulchers  of  the  honored  fathers,  it  was  bitter  to  the 
eoul. 

11.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Thou  must  prophesy  again 
before  many  peojjles,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings. 

Though  the  scenes  of  the  first  book  of  destiny,  and  of  its  "little" 
supplement,  were  about  to  close,  yet  John  is  reminded  that  there 
are  yet  other  events  to  be  predicted.  "  Thou  must  prophesy 
again,"  not  before  [in  the  presence  of],  but  concerning  people, 
nations,  etc. — i.  e.,  Gentile  powers  as  distinguished  from  Jews. 
The  language  implies  that  thus  far  he  has  prophesied  concerning 
Jews,  but  that  the  latter  part  of  his  book  will  treat  of  Gentile 
powers. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

In  this  remarkable  chapter,  the  interest  of  the  first  great  series 
of  symbols  and  prophetic  events  culminates.  We  reach  the  crisi.s 
and  culmination. Vs.  1,  2  treat  of  the  temple,  the  altar  and 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XI.  125 

tlic  worshipers;  then  follows  the  case  of  the  two  witnesses,  their 
functions  and  powers;  their  martyrdom  and  its  locality;  the  exulta- 
tion over  tiicir  unburied  bodies ;  their  resurrection  and  ascension 
to  heaven ;  thC  consternation  of  their  enemies  and  the  convulsions 
that  ensued  (vs.  3-lo);  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  angel's  trumpet 
tlic  song  of  heaven,  and  the  closing  scene  in  the  upper  temple  (vs. 
H-19). 

1.  And  there  was  given  me  a  recti  like  unto  a  rod :  and 
the  angel  stood,  saying,  Ivise,  and  measure  thei  temple  of 
God,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  worship  therein. 

2.  But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple  leave  out, 
and  measure  it  not ;  for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles :  and 
the  lioly  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  atid  two 
months. 

When  Jeremiah  and  the  old  prophets  tonlemplatcd  and  pre- 
dicted the  capture  of  Jerusalem,  the  fate  of  the  temple  could  not 
be  overlooked ;  indeed  it  was  the  iirst  and  central  thought.  No 
one  prediction  from  Jeremiah  made  so  much  impression  upon  the 
people  as  that  which  declared  (Jer.  7:  1-15,  and  26:  6) — "I 
will  make  this  house  like  IShiloh."  So  in  the  present  case  the 
temple  must  needs  come  to  mind  before  the  doom  of  the  city  is 

consummated. The  ''reed  like  a  rod"   and  the  measuring  of 

the  temple  are  in  imitation  of  Ezek.  40. Kemarkably  the  best 

manuscripts  omit  the  clause,  "and  the  angel  stood,"  the  passage 
I'cading  literally — "  There  was  given  me  a  reed  like  a  rod,  saying," 
etc.,  i.  «.,  one,  some  one  not  defined,  saying. As  to  the  sig- 
nificance of  this  transaction,  no  other  view  seems  to  me  admissible 
save  this — that  it  puts  in  other  symbol  what  we  had  in  chap.  7: 
1-8,  viz.,  the  sifting  out  for  salvation  of  all  the  precious  elements 
from  among  tiie  ancient  covenant  people  before  the  last  crushing 
IjIow  should  fall.  The  Simeons  and  the  Annas,  the  devout  and 
honest  worshipers  of  the  true  God,  must  be  carefully  measured 
otf  and  removed  away,  and  possibly  the  symbol  may  include  the 
idea  that  all  which  is  worth  preserving  in  the  temple  itself  and 
its  altar — all  jts  embodied  truths,  all  its  symbolic  power,  all  its 
hallowed  associations — must  be  husbanded  with  a  wise  economy 
and  treasured  away  safely  before  the  storm  of  ruin  shall  engulf  both 
city  and  temple.  Hat  the  "  court  without  the  temple  " — always  far 
less  holy — leave  out ;  it  is  given  to  the  Gentiles ;  the  holy  city  they 
will  tread  proudly  and  insultingly  under  their  feet  three  years  and 

an  half The  great  event  predicted  here  is  doul)tless  the  siege 

and  ultimate  sack,  pillage,  and  utter  destruction  of  both  city  and 
temple  by  the  Romans.  The  language  in  part  (•'trodden  under 
foot")  follows  that  of  Jesus  himself  (Luke  21:  24):  "Jerusalem 
shall  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles."  Uut  the  time  and  in  gen- 
eral the  symbols  take  their  shape  from  the  very  analogous  case  of 
the  famous  deseci'ation  of  the  tcmi)lc  by  Antiochus  as  foretold  hx 


126  REVELATION.-CIIAP.  XT. 

Daniel  (8:  10-14,  and  11:  31).  This  accounts  for  the  duration 
named  here — "forty  two  months" — this  beinj:;  precisely  the  period 
given  by  Daniel,  and   proximately  the  duration  of  the   siege  and 

sack  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans. That  Jerusalem  is  certainly 

meant  by  "  the  holy  city,"  1  do  not  see  how  any  one  can  reasonably 
doubt.  So  of  "  the  temple  "  and  "  the  altar,"  we  are  all  afloat  if 
we  abandon  the  literal,  normal  sense  of  these  words,  and  consult 
our  fancy  for  some  ideal  sense  which  neither  John  or  his  first 
readers  could  possibly  have  thought  of  Let  us  not  forget  that  the 
writer  is  a  Jew ;  that  he  Avas  perfectly  at  home  in  whatever  per- 
tains to  the  temple,  the  altar,  its  worshipers,  the  court  without 
and  the  holy  city ;  that  many  of  his  readers  also  were  familiar 
more  or- less  with  the  Jewish  sense  of  these  words;  so  that  it  is 
simply  impossible  that  they  could  have  given  any  other  sense  to 
these  words  than  what  I  have  here  assumed.  Consequently  here 
is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  our  prophetic  interpretation.  We  know 
that  the  temple,  altar  Mid  holy  city  were  standing  at  the  time  of 
this  vision ;  we  know  they  were  on  the  very  eve  of  their  desolation  ; 
we  know  therefore  that  this  desolation — so  "shortly''  after  these 
visions  were  seen  and  recorded — can  not  possibly  be  any  other 
than  that  eifccted  by  the  Roman  armies  A.  D.  70.  It  should  be 
some  comfort  to  us  to  know  Avhere  we  are  in  place  and  in  time  in 
this  series  of  prophetic  events.  It  gives  a  pleasing  sense  of  cer- 
tainty in  the  results  of  our  investigations. 

3.  And  I  will  give  poiver  unto  my  two  witnesses,  and 
they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore 
days,  clothed  in  sackcloth. 

These  two  witnesses,  here  sprung  upon  us  suddenly  with  no  pre- 
intimation,  are  prominent  and  important  characters  in  this  series 
of  prophetic  events.  I  hardly  need  say  that  the  diversity  of 
opinions  respecting  them  among  commentators  has  been'  almost 
endless.  My  readers  will  excuse  me  from  giving  even  a  catalogue 
of  these  discordant  opinions,  and  much  more  from  discussing  and 
combatting  them — better  pleased  that  I  should  labor  to  present  if 
possible  a  fair  interpretation  of  the  whole  passage  which  will  meet 
all  its  exigencies  and  satisfy  every  reasonable  requirement. 

I  will  iirst  state  briefly  my  views  of  the  two  witnesses:  then 
explain  particular  words  and  phrases  throughout  tlie  passage; 
and  close  with  my  reasons  for  adopting  this  view  of  their  mean- 
ing as  symbols  in  preference  to  any  other. 

I  think  these  two  witnesses  are  not  literal  but  represev.tativa 
5ien ;  that  we  are  not  to  look  among  the  apostles  or  the  early 
Christian  martyrs  to  find  precisely  the  two  individual  men  in 
whom  these  conditions  shall  all  meet;  nor  do  I  at  all  accept  thase 
moro  wild  theories  which  make  them  the  Old  and  the  New  Testa- 
ment scriptures;  or  the  Jewish  church  and  the' Christian ;  or  the 
Waldenses  and  the  iVlbigensos,  etc.,  but  I  take  them  as  representative 
characters,  standing  for  all  those  Christian  witnesses  for  the  truth 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XI.  127 

of  whom  Jesus  himself  was  at  the  head,  and  liis  faithful  disciplca 
and  apostles,  -walkinj::  in  his  steps,  filled  up  the  ranks  till  the  fall 
af  Jerusalem.  The  thought  doubtless  holds  closely  to  those  who 
testified  for  Christ  before  the  Jewish  nation — who  were  the  Lord's 
gospel  witnesses,  proclaiming  to  the  Jews  both  its  messages  of 
mercy  and  its  threatened  doom  of  judgment  unless  they  should 
repent.  Jolin  the  Baptist  heads  the  list  in  time  ;  Jesus,  in  promi- 
nence, dignity   and   power;    but  a   host  of  those   men — Stephen, 

James,  Peter  and  Paul,  fill   up  the   catalogue. In  a  symbolic 

representation  it  can  not  be  exjiectcd  that  all  these  individual  men 
should  api)ear.  The  number  two  is  chosen  probably  because  "  in 
the  mouth  of  tAvo  or  three  witnesses  every  word"  by  Jewish  law 
"was  established."  There  may  also  be  a  tacit  allusion  to  the  his- 
toric fact  that  Jesus  sent  out  his  first  witnesses  two  and  two  into 
every  city.  According  to  Mark  (6  :  7)  the  twelve  were  sent  out 
thus,  and  according  to  Lukc(lU:  1)  the  seventy. These  re- 
marks will  give  my  general  views  of  these  two  witnesses. 

In  the  ])hrase,  "1  will  give  power  unto  my  two  witnesses,"  there 
being  no  Greek  Avord  for  "  power,"  it  is  better  to  give  the  phrase 
a  broader  sense,  perhaps  thus :  I  will  commission  my  two  wit- 
nesses— 1  will  give  them  the  responsibility  of  prophesying;  or,  not 
improbably,  I  will  give  them  every  help  they  need — a  heart  of 
boldness,  words  of  wisdom — according  to  Christ's  promise:  "Jt 
shall  be  given  you  in  that  same  hour  what  ye  shall  speak"  (Mat. 
10:  19). "Twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days  "  is  itself  a  sym- 
bolic period  representing  special  trial,  temptation,  conflict.  The 
antecedent  historic  facts  which  made  this  period  of  three  and  a 
lialf  years  so  memorable,  sacred  and  significant,  and  which  fitted 
it  so  admirably  for  a  symbolic  type  of  like  trying  periods  in  all 
coming  ages,  stand  in  the  book  of  Daniel — that  mournful  and  most 
affiictive  desecration  of  the  temple  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes.  With 
these  historic  facts  in  view,  standing  in  a  prophecy  entirely  fresh 
to  the  mind  of  John  in  I'atmos,  we  need  go  no  further  to  account 
for  this  designation  of  time.  It  matters  not  how  long  precisely 
the  witnesses  represented  by  these  two,  did  actually  testify  to  the 
Jews  before  the  iiill  of  their  city.  To  these  symbolic  representative 
men  is  assigned  a  period  which  is  itself  symbolic  and  suggestive 

of  calamity  and  trial  to  God's  people. The  numerous  theories 

as  to  these  two  witnesses  which  assume  that  they  lived  and  proph- 
esied twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years  instead  of  so  many  days  must 
be  discarded  as  utterly  baseless.  See  the  special  Dissertation  in 
the  Appendix.    The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  "  forty  two  months  " 

of  V.  2  above. That  they  arc  clothed  in  sackcloth  testifies  that 

they  are  men  of  kindred  spirit  with  Elijah  and  John  the  Baptist. 

4.  These  are  tlie  two  olive-trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks 
standing  before  the  God  of  the  earth. 

The  older  manuscripts  have  "Lord"  instead  of  "God;" — "the 
Lord  of  all  the  eartii." The  two  olive-trees  and  the  two  candle- 


^28  liEVELATION.— CIIAr.  XI. 

Rtieks  (lamp-stands)  are  from  Zech.  4,  where  they  represent  the 
two  sacred  orders — civil  rulers  and  priests — under  whose  spiritual 
eiire  tiod  had  placed  his  people  and  througli  \Yhoin  he  imparted  te 
them  religious  truth  and  spiritual  grace.  The  two  witnesses  are 
also  God's  servants  in  a  similar  capacity,  doing  a  similar  service 
to  his  people.  This  shotild  suggest  that  they,  like  their  proto- 
tj'pes,  are  representative  men,  symbolic  personages. 

5.  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  thorn,  fire  proccedeth  out 
of  their  mouth,  and  devoureth  their  enemies  :  and  if  any 
man  Avill  hurt  them,  he  must  in  this  manner  be  killed. 

This  fire  from  their  mouth  devouring  their  enemies,  is  bold, 
striking  imagery,  but  not  incongruous  with  the  tone  of  this  book. 
See  9:  17,  18.  If  we  might  think  of  it  as  literally  done,  it  wouki 
make  them  formidable,  not  to  say  terrible  to  their  enemies  because 
they  had  God  on  their  side  and  his  fearful  judgments  were  sure 
to  liill  in  terrible  retribution  upon  those  who  sought  their  blood. 

(>.  The.se  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in 
the  days  of  their  prophecy :  and  have  power  over  waters 
to  turn  them  to  blood,  and  to  smite  the  earth  with  all 
plagues,  as  often  as  they  will. 

The  word  rendered  "power"  has  more  precisely  the  sense  of 
prerogative — a  certain  responsible  function  entrusted  to  them,  cor- 
related to  their   special  work. In   the   last   clause   we  mighi 

render  somewhat  more  literally,  "To  smite  the  land  with  every 
plague,"  etc.  The  former  part  of  the  verse  makes  an  historical 
allusion  to  Elijah  and  the  rain  (1  Kings  17:  1);  the  latter  part 
to  Moses  and  the  plagues  on  Egypt  (Ex.  7:  19).  The  case  of 
these  witnesses  recalls  to  mind  those  heroic  and  divinely  honored 
saints  ;  but  we  must  not  too  hastily  infer  that  they  were  to  da 
precisely  the  same  things.  In  so  plain  a  case  of  historic  allusion, 
it  may  be  very  difficult  to  decide  how  closely  analogous  their 
actual  deeds  will  be  to  the  historic  model.  The  witnesses  were 
men  working  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elijah  and  of  Moses  and 
in  somewhat  analogous  circumstances — like  them  having  to  di> 
with  mighty  hostile  forces,  and  withstanding  them  in  the  strengtli 
uf  the  Lord  of  Hosts.     Perhaps  this  is  all  we  can  safely  say. 

7.  And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony, 
the  beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  shall 
make  war  against  them,  and  shall  overcome  them,  and  kill 
them. 

Shielded  by  God's  protecting  providence  they  live  till  they  have 
finished  their  testimony ;  but  then  the  beast  from  the  bottomlesa 
pit  prevails  against  them  so  far  as  to  take  their  lives.  This  beast 
(not  200H  but  ihcrioyi)  corresponds  to  the  "great  red  drajjon"  of 


KEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  XI.  129 

the  np.^t  cliaptor,  i.  c,  he  is  Siitfin  himself. Bearing;  in  mind 

tliat  Jesus  Christ  in  his  earthly  life  and  labor  was  "  the  fiiithful 
and  true  AVitness" — the  first  and  chief  witness  for  God  before  the 
Jewish  people,  and  that  his  history  therefore  naturally  determines 
tlie  type  of  this  representative  sketch  of  the  two  witnesses,  we 
naturally  look  into  his  well  known  history  for  the  leading  outlines 
fliven  here.  We  remember  how  through  many  perils  he  lived  till 
he  had  finished  his  testimony  ;  how  Satan  then  entered  into  Judas 
and  through  Judas  betrayed  him  into  bloody  hands;  how  he  him- 
self said — "  Xow  is  your  hour  and  the  power  of  darkness,"  as  if 
well  aware  that  his  chief  antagonist  was  Satan,  and  that  in  this 
struggle  his  own  life  was  to  be  taken.  So  of  all  the  martyrs, 
Satan  was  really  the  great  murderer.  His  instigations  set  wicked 
men  upon  this  work.  He  was  the  Great  Leader  in  this  war  upon 
tha  pensons  and  the  lives  of  the  saints. 

8.  And  their  dead  bodies  shall  lie  iu  the  street  of  the  great 
city,  which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also 
our  Lord  was  crucified. 

That  their  dead  bodies  lie  unburied  in  the  streets  indicates  ex- 
treme insult.  In  the  current  sentiments  of  all  the  ancient  nations, 
no   rites  were  more  sacred  than  those  of  sepulture;  no  fate  was 

deemed  more  dreadful  than   to   lie  unburied. In  the  general 

sense  of  insult,  this  feature  was  applicable  to  Jesus  in  the  matter 
of  his  death,  while  in  its  precisefy  literal  sense  it  fails  to  apply, 
because  by  God's  special  interposition  he  was  "with  the  rich  in 
bis  death  '  (Isa.  53:  9),  and  had  an  honorable  burial.  But  his 
murderers  intended  the  extremest  insult,  and  in  every  other  point 
they  carried  out  their  purpose.  In  the  fact,  therefore,  the  signifi- 
cation of  this  feature  meets  his  case.  A  description  of  two  repre- 
sentative witnesses  should  aim  to  meet  the  average  features  of  the 
great  body  of  those  who  are  represented.     This  rule  is  faithfully 

observed  in  the  points  made  here. But  the  paramount  interest 

and  priceless  vahie  of  this  verse  are  in  the  fact  that  it  gives  us  so 
]>recisely  the  locality — the  place  where  the  witnesses  fell ;  the  place 
Mhich  was  obviously  the  principal  scene  of  their  witnessing  testi- 
mony. The  prophetic  finger  is  carefully  put  upon  the  very  city, 
it  is  one  which  in  view  of  its  spiritual  character  might  be  called 
Sodom  (as  in  Isa.  1  :  10)  or  Egypt  as  embodied  in  Pharaoh — his 
hardened  heart  resisting  God's  avitliority  persistently,  despite  of  a 
long  series  of  fearful  judgments  ;  but  dropping  all  figures  of  speech, 
it  was  precisely  the  place  where  the  Lord  Jcsits  loas  crucified.  This 
is  perfectly  definite.  No  words  could  be  more  so.  There  never 
Wis  but  one  city  of  which  this  could  be  said  in  such  a  connection 
as  this.  What  the  city  was  called  "spiritually"  might  indicate  it 
sufliciently  to  many  readers;  but  to  make  the  identification  of  the 
city  perfect,  and  to  leave  no  possibility  of  mistake,  the  tongue  of 
inspiration  said,  "where  their  Lord  also  was  crucified"  and  met 
his  death  yis  they  met  theirs.     The  im])rovcd  text  gives  us  here, 


130  EEVELATION.-CIIAP.  XI. 

^' their  Lord,"  not  "our." — ■ — As  to  this  locality  fur  the  martyrdom 
of  the  two  witnesses,  the  reader  will  readily  recall  those  very  sig- 
nificant words  of  .Jesus  (Luke  13:  31-35)  when  certain  Pharisees 
said  to  him,  "Get  thee  out  and  depart  hence,  for  Herod  will  kill 
thee ;  "  and  he  replied,  "  I  must  -walk  to-day  and  to-morrow  and 
the  day  following  (a  very  short  time  only,  and  then  my  life  will 
be  taken  here  in  this  guilty  city),  for  it  can  not  be  that  a  prophet 
perish  outside  of  Jerusalem.  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  that  killcst 
the  prophets  and  stonest  them  that  are  sent  unto  thee;  how  often 
would  1  have  gathered  thy  children  together  as  a  hen  gathers  her 
brood  under  her  wings,  but  ye  icould  not!  Behold,  your  house  is 
left  unto  you  desolate !  "  The  blood  of  her  murdered  prophets  and 
apostles,  and  greatest  of  all  though  not  the  last  in  time,  the  murder 
of  her  ovra  Messiah,  sealed  her  doom  of  unutterable  desolaticn ! 
This  fact  stands  out  among  tiie  most  salient  points  in  this  entire 
chapter.  It  explains  the  fact  that  the  murder  of  the  two  witnesses 
within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  is  the  last  thing  before  the  blast  of 
the  seventh  trumpet  and  the  mighty  fall  of  that  great  city.  Other 
historians  may  paint  the  physical  agencies — may  give  us  the  work 
of  the  Roman  legions  witliout  and  of  suicidal  factions  within:  but 
(jlod's  prophetic  finger  sketches  the  moral  causes — the  damning  sins 
that  sealed  her  doom. 

9.  And  tliey  of  the  people  and  kindreds  and  tongues  and 
nations  shall  see  their  dead. bodies  three  days  and  a  half, 
and  shall  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  to  be  put  in  graves. 

10.  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  rejoice  over 
them,  and  make  merrj^  and  shall  send  gifts  one  to  another; 
because  these  two  propliets  tormented  them  that  dwelt  on 
the  earth. 

11.  And  after  three  days  and  a  half  the  Spirit  of  life 
from  God  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their 
feet ;  and  great  fear  fell  upon  them  ■which  saw  them. 

Here  is  the  hellish  exultation  of  their  murderers  over  the  fallen 

martyrs.  The  triumphing  of  the  wicked  is  alwaj-s  short: — this 
was.  The  time  designated — three  and  a  half  days — follows  the 
symbolic  usage  of  three  and  a  half  as  the  standard  pei'iod  for 
calamity.  Probably  the  naming  of  this  duration  is  due  mainly  if 
not  solely  to  the  intiuence  of  this  standard  usage.  There  may  pos- 
sibly be  a  tacit  allusion  to  the  interval  between  Chi'ist's  death  and 

his  resurrection,  commonly  called  three  days. After  the  three 

and  a  half  days,  the  Spirit  of  life  from  God  entered  into  them  (the 
mode  of  stating  the  fact  follows  Ezek.  37:  5-14),  and  they  rise 
alive — to  the  unutterable  consternation  of  their  murderers!  Pre- 
cisely this  sudden  alternation  from  diabolic  exultation  over  his 
death  to  horror  and  dread  at  his  rising,  must  have  been  the  ex- 
perience of  the  chief  priests  and  S(!ribes  in  the  case  of  Christ's 
death    ami  resurrectiun.     'J'hroo  diiys  merry  and  exultant, — thea 


REVELATION.-CHAP.  XL  131 

horror-stricken   in   amazeuieut   and   terror! Tlie   imwan'anted 

assumption  that  pro|ihetic  days  are  really  historic  years — so  ol'ten 
Avrouiiht  into  the  interpretation  of  these  witnesses — can  lead  to 
nutiiing  but  error,  misconstruction,     bee  Appendix,  Dissertation  I. 

12.  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven  saying 
unto  them,  Como  up  liitlier.  And  they  ascended  up  to 
heaven  in  a  cloud ;  and  their  enemies  beheld  them. 

I  can  not  resist  the  conviction  that  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  a  sort  of  gi'ound-work  for  this  part  of  the  representation. 
Ill  i'act  his  case  seems  to  have  been  very  prominent  throughout,  as 
it  naturally  should  be  because  he  was  really  the  foremost  and 
greatest  of  these  witnesses — his  life,  his  preaching  and  his  death 
having  unsurpassed  moral  significance  as  bearing  upon  the  doom 
of  the  Jewish  city  and  nation.  It  is  therefore  entirely  natural 
that  the  case  of  these  two  representative  witnesses  should  receive 
such  a  shading,  should  take  on  such  a  type,  as  would  continually 
suggest  the  case  of  Jesus  himself  as  the  great  model   witness. 

Otherwise  it  would  have  missed  its  main  object. If  the  reader 

understands  Avhat  1  have  all  along  been  saying,  he  will  not  ask 
me  whether  I  can  find  any  two  apostolic  witnesses  whose  dead 
lM)dies  lay  unburied  in  Jerusalem  three  days  and  a  half,  over 
whom  their  murderers  exulted  so  long,  but  who  then  rose  from 
tlic  dead  anil  ascended  to  heaven  in  the  very  sight  of  their  as- 
tounded murderers  !  To  make  such  a  demand  is  to  ignore  the 
representative,  symbolic  character  of  the  whole  passage  and  insist 
that  it  shall  be  taken  as  a  literal  statement  throughout.  It  might 
as  well  be  insisted  upon  that  every  word,  every  picture,  eveiy 
symliol  in  this  book  of  Kevclation  shall  be  construed  literally. 

13.  And  the  same  liour  was  there  a  great  earthquake, 
and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,  and  in  the  earthquake 
were  slain  of  men  seven  tliousand  :  and  the  remnant  were 
alfrighted,  and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven. 

14.  The  second  woe  is  past;  cuid,  behold,  the  third  woe 
Cometh  quickly. 

These  convulsions  in  the  material  world  were  most  appropriate 
foretokens  of  the  fearful  ruin  of  the  city,  and  fit  premonitions  of 
the  blast  of  the  seventh  trumpet.  That  during  the  siege  of  the 
c'ty  facts  did  literally  occur  to  Avhich  these  points  of  the  represen- 
hvtion  might  correspond,  is  matter  of  history;  and  yet  it  Avould  be 
quite  another  thing  to  show  which  out  of  many  earthquakes  this 
was  that  occurred  "on  the  same  hour,"  and  what  "tenth  ])art  of 
tlie  city"  it  was  that  fell,  etc.     Huch  minuteness  of  application  in 

a  prophecy  of  this  sort  should  by  no  means  be  expected, It  ia 

supposablc  that  the  case  of  the  IJoman  "  centurion  and  they  that 
were  with  him"  watching  Jesus  on  the  cross,  who  saw  the  earth- 


132  REVELATION^aiAP.  XI. 

quake  and  the  things  that  were  done,  and  feared  greatly,  saying, 
"  Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God  !"  (Mat.  27:  54)  may  have  thrown 
its  influence  into  these  features  of  the  representation. 

Having  thus  endeavored  to  explain  what  is  said  of  these  "  two 
witnesses,"  it  remains  to  state  briefly  my  reasons  for  adopting 
this  construction  rather  than  the  literal  one  which  I  understand 
Prof  Stuart  to  hold,  or  any  of  those  vague  modern  constructions 
which  find  these  two  witnesses  in  the  (Jld  and  the  New  Testa- 
ment; or  in  the  Mosaic  and  the  Christian  dispensations;  or  in 
the  prophets  and  the  apostles;  or  in  any  of  the  true  church^'s  in 
the  dark  middle  ages;  ot  anywhere  else  according  to  the  fancy 
of  the  interpreter. — — (!•)  That,  as  above  explained,  they  are 
representative  men,  is  in  harmony  zvitk  the  symbolism  of  this  entire 
book.  Here  the  fact  stated  briefly  and  in  general  is  that  the  hu- 
man figures  which  appear  in  the  scenery  of  this  book  are  repre- 
sentative characters.  I  adduce  the  "  twenty-four  elders,"  representing 
glorified  saints  in  heaven;  "the  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand," 
sealed  from  among  the  Jews,  who  represent  the  early  Jewish  con- 
verts to  Christianity;  the  horsemen  of  9:  IG  who  represemt  the 
Homan  legions,  not  precisely  in  point  of  numbers  but  of  formida- 
ble power;  the  "woman"  of  chap.  12  who  represents  the  church, 
and  her  "man-child,"  representing  Jesus;  the  woman  of  chapter 
17:  1-7,  18  who  represents  the  great  city,  Kome.  This  law  of 
prophetic  symbolism  seems  to  be  throughout  this  book  universal 
and  invariable.  Consequently  it  ought  to  apply  in  the  case  of 
these  two  witnesses.  None  but  the  most  stubborn  difBcuIties,  no 
reasons  save  the  most  stringent,  could  justify  a  violation  of  a  law 

otherwise  universal. -(^■)   This   construction  harmonizes  with 

v.  3,  which  compares  these  two  witnesses  to  the  two  olive  trees  and 
tlie  two  lamp-stands  of  Zech.  4.  This  comparison,  brought  in  here 
to  introduce  these  two  witnesses  and  explain  who  they  represent 
and  how  they  are  to  be  taken,  should  be  in  itself  decisive.  As 
those  two  olive-trees  and  lamp-stands  were  representative  objects, 
standing  for  a  class  of  men,  so  are  these. -(3.)  This  construc- 
tion has  enabled  us  to  interpret  the  entire  passage  in  a  way  at 
once  pertinent,  facile,  natural   and  forcible.     This   consideration 

should  of  itself  have  great  weight. (4.)  It  harmonizes  with  the 

facts  of  the  case.  Such  witnessing  men  did  go  forth  among  the 
Jews  to  testify  the  gi'eat  truths  of  the  gospel.  Their  mission  began 
properly  with  John  the  Baptist,  and  ended  only  with  the  fall  of 
their  city.  Jesus  himself  led  this  witnessing  host.  Stephen  wit- 
nessed till,  like  his  Ix)rd's,  his  murdered  bmly  fell  in  that  guilty 
city.  In  great  numbers  these  witnesses  fell  in  Jerusalem.  But 
the  case  covers  not  those  only  whose  bodies  fell  there  but  those  who 
elsewhere,  even  "  in  strange  cities"  (Acts  26  :  11),  were  persecuted 
by  Jews,  traduced  before  the  Roman  authorities,  and  brought  to  a 

martyr's  death. (5.)  It  harmonizes  luith  the  moral  purpose  of 

this  prophecy  of  the  fall  of  Jerusalem.  Considered  as  written  to 
the  seven  churches,  then  suffering  some  degree  of  persecution  and 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XL  133 

probably  fearinii;  more  and  sorer  yet  to  come,  it  could  not  fail  to 
impress  them  with  the  heroic  sublimity  of  the  martyr's  life  and 
death  ;  with  the  certainty  of  a  glorious  reward ;  and  consequently 
with  the  spirit  of  a  lofty  faith  and  a  noble  Christian  endurance. 
With  such  an  example  before  them  as  that  of  these  two  witnesses, 
fu.irjiiesting  bo  forcibly  the  witnessing  life,  the  martyr's  death  and 
the  glorious  resurrection  of  their  own  Redeemer,  how  could  they 
.slirink  before  any  peril  of  life  that  might  threaten,  or  any  hard 
ships  of  prison  or  exile  ?  Especially  when  they  saw  that  the  blood 
of  martyrs  shed  in  Jerusalem  brought  down  upon  that  wicked 
city  the  exterminating  judgments  of  the  Almighty,  it  must  have 
impressed  them  with  a  sense  of  his  righteous  retribution  upon  his 
incorrigible  foes,  and  assured  them  that  God  was  on  their  side  in 
the  fullness  and  glory  of  his  power  both  to  save  and  to  destroy, 
and  that  they  need  not  at  all  fear  the  final  triumph  of  the  wicked 
because  they  have  their  brief  moment  of  fiendish  exultation  over 

the  men  they  have  vilcdy  and  causelessly  murdered. Thus  this 

construction  of  the  entire  passage  would  avail  to  bring  home  to 
the  souls  of  the  first  readers  of  this  book  a  grand  and  most  im- 
pressive moral  power  toward  steadfast  endurance  and  heroic 
boldness  for  the  truth,  as  well  as  a  sense  of  God's  righteous  justice 
and  of  his  certain  victory  over  every  foe.  Such  as  these  are  be- 
j'ond  all  doubt  the  moral  purposes  of  the  entire  book.  The  point 
of  my  present  argument  is  that  this  view  of  the  two  witnesses  co- 
incides perfectly  in  its  moral  purpose  with  the  whole  book,  and 

therefore  must  be  the  true  one. 'For  these  reasons,  each  sti-ong 

in  itself  and  all  united  making  a  complete  demonstration,  1  must 
accept  and  maintain  that  these  two  witnesses  are  representative 
characters,  standing  for  the  noble  band  of  witnesses  for  Christian- 
ity, sent  of  (j!od  to  his  ancient  people  with  his  last  appeal  before 
tlie  fall  of  their  city  and  temple. 

15.  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded ;  and  there  were 
great  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  of  this  world 
are  become  the  k'uirjdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ ; 
and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever. 

16.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  which  sat  before  God 
on  their  scat.=,  fell   upon   their  faces',  and  worshiped  God, 

17.  Saying,  We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Ahniglity, 
which  art,  and  wast,  and  art  to  come ;  because  thou  hast 
taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and  hast  reigned. 

18.  And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is  come, 
and  the  time  of  the  dead,  that  they  should  be  judged,  and 
that  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  tliy  servants  the 
propliets,  and  the  saints,  and  to  them  that  fear  tliy  name, 
small  and  gi*eat ;  and  shouldest  destroy  them  which  destroy 
the  earth. 


L3J  rvKVELATION.— CHAP.  XI. 

The  soumlitiu;  of  tlic  seventh  trumpet  should  be  a  crisis,  a  great 
consummation.  'J'hc  seven  seals  are  all  broken  ;  the  seventh  and 
last  was  resolved  into  seven  trumpets  and  here  wc  have  reached 
the  last  of  these.  Hence  some  signal  events  are  here.  What  is 
this  crisis?  If  a  catastrophe,  i.  e.,  a  great  convulsion,  a  mighty 
ruin,  the  question  arises— A  convulsion  of  what  sort?  A  ruin  of 
what?     If  the  result  be  only  joyful,  tvh>/  is  it  so,  and  whal  is  the 

ground  of  the  joy  ? All  commentators  concur  in  finding  some 

extraordinary  event  in  tliis  seventh  trumpet.  Many  think  it  to  be 
the  beginning  of  the  Millennium,  or  the  final  judgment  at  the  end 
of  this  world^  and  the  opening  of  a  new  order  of  existence  for  the 
redeemed.  Hence  there  is  special  interest  and  importance  in  this 
question — What  is  this  seventh  trumpet? 

My  view  is  that  in  its  primary  sense  and  application,  it  is  pre- 
Ciisely  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  before  the  Jioman  a;7?ts— Jerusalem  be- 
ing considered  as  the  grand  antagonist  power  against  Christian- 
ity in  that  early  Christian  age. -I  shall  attempt  to  justify  this 

view  by  showing:  (1.)  That  this  description  (vs.  1.5-18),  fairly 
and  scripturally  interpreted,  not  only  admits  but  demands  this  in- 
terpretation;— and  (2.)  That  the  course  of  the  preceding  seals  and 
trumpets  and  the  slaying  of  the  witnesses  brings  us  precisely  to 
this  great  event — to  no  point  short  of  this  and  to  no  point  be3'^ond  it. 

1.  It  should  be  carefully  noted  that  the  results  of  this  seventh 
trumpet  are  shown  us  onh/  as  seen  and  felt  in  heaven.  The  prophet 
does  not  give  us  one  word  nor  one  symbol  which  represents  things 
seen  or  done  on  earth,  save  as  we  may  infer  them  from  what  is 
said  and  sung  by  the  hosts  above.  He  first  hears  great  voices  in 
heaven  and  tells  us  what  they  said;  then  more  definitely  the 
twenty-four  elders  (representatives  of  the  church  on  earth)  take  up 
their  song  of  thanksgiving  and  with  several  new  particulars  set 
forth  the  occasion  and  grounds  of  their  joy  in  -this  event  by  recit- 
ing what  God  had  so  gloriously  done.  It  is  only  from  these 
sources  that  we  learn  precisely  the  things  revealed  under  the  seventh 

trumpet. Again,  it  should  be  carefully  noted  that  these  heavenly 

hosts  contemplate  this  event  onli/  on  its  joyous  side — 07ily  as  bear- 
ing upon  the  j^rogress  and  triumphs  of  Messialis  kingdom.  There 
may  have  been  another  side  to  the  scene,  one  of  fearful  catastro- 
phe; of  awful  carnage;  of  utter  wreck  to  human  hopes  and  all'ec- 
tions — to  the  life  and  tlie  heart  of  a  great  nation ;  but  of  this  eri- 
tire  side  of  the  case,  these  heavenly  songs  say  nothing.  Yet  it 
would  be  a  very  strange  inference  (it  has  been  made  often)  that 
should  conclude  from  the  silence  of  heaven's  songs  as  to  any  catas- 
trophe, that  there  actually  was  ncme.  Why  should  it  surprise  us 
that  those  holy  ones  before  the  throne*should  think  of  the  fall  of 
the  first,  most  obstinate  and  most  inalign  opponents  of  the  go.spel 
as  a  glorious  triumph  of  Immanuel,  and  should  contemplate  thii 
event  only  on  its  Godward  side — only  as  related  to  the  retribu- 
tions of  his  glorious  justice  and  to  the  triumphs  of  truth  and  sal- 
vation over  all  the  earth?     1  acquiesce  most  entirely  in  this  view 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XL  135 

oF  their  sonj];  and  believe  this  to  have  been  the  li,nht  in  wliieh  they 
contcmpUited  the  fall  of  apostate  Judaism  and  of  its  representative 
city. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  words  heard  in  heaven. In  the  phrase, 

•'The  kingdoms  of  this  world,"  etc.,  the  oldest  manuscripts  and  the 
concurrent  voice  of  the  best  critics  give  the  singular,  "The  king- 
dom of  this  world,"  the  precise  sense  therefore  being  that  the  ruli-^ 
the  sicay  of  this  world,  ratlier  than  the  civil  power  over  its  several 
kingdoms,  passes  into  the  hand  of  our  Lord. The  just  interpre- 
tation of  this  language  must  be  learned  from  Old  Testament  pmpli- 
ccy  and  New  Testament  usage.  1  can  present  this  matter  her« 
only  by  the  briefest  allusions,  e.  g.,  to  (icn.  49:  10,  "The  scepter 

shall  not  depart  from  Judah till  iShiloh  [the  Messiah]  come  ; 

liim  shall  the  people  obey:  "  to  Fs.  2:  8,  "Ask  of  me  and  I  will 
give  thee  the  heathen  for  thine  inheritance :"  to  Ezek.  21  :  27, 
'■  1  will  overturn,  overturn,  overturn  it,  and  it  shall  be  no  more, 
until  he  come  whose  right  it  is  and  I  will  give  it  him ;"  or  to  the 
scope  of  Daniel's  series  of  great  Avorld  monarchies  which  terminate 
with  giving  to  the  Messiah  ''dominion,  glory  and  a  kingdom,  that 
all  people,  nations  and  languages  should  serve  him,  and  his  do- 
minion be  an  everlasting  dominion,"  etc. In  New  Testament 

usage  Jesus  takes  up  this  term,  "  kingdom,"  and  this  strain  of 
promise,  from  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  and  speaks  during  his 
life-time  of  his  kingdom  as  just  at  hand.  The  apostles  after  his 
ascension  spake  of  it  as  already  set  up.  If  we  examine  this  matter 
quite  carefully,  we  shall  see  that  the  divine  forces  to  be  used  in 
establishing  this  kingdom  were  essentially  twofold :  the  spiritual, 
of  which  tiie  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  central;  and  the  physical, 
to  be  employed  under  Ood's  providential  rule  in  the  destruction 
of  opposing  powers,  and  first  and  most  prominent  of  all,  apostate 
.ludaisra  and  its  stronghold,  Jerusalem.  Hence  the  kingdom  of 
the  Messiah  was  in  one  important  sense  given  to  him  upon  his 
formal  inauguration  in  heaven  at  his  ascension;  and  yet  in  its 
human  aspect  and  development,  its  date  prtiperly  turned  on  two 
grand  events:  (1.)  The  descent  of  the  Holy  (lliost,  revealing  and 
bringing  into  the  great  field  of  spiritual  work  this  divine  power; 
and  (2.)  The  overthrow  of  Jerusalem — the  first  grand  manilesta- 
tion  of  the  physical,  material  forces — the  first  putting  forth  of  tiie 
great  hand  of  God  to  sweep  away  opposing  powers  and  to  foil 
8atan  in  the  very  point  of  his  chief  antagonism. It  will  be  no- 
ticed that  in  several  passages  Jesus  speaks  of  his  "coming"  when 
the  connection  and  the  circumstances  compel  us  to  apply  this  word 
to  his  powerful  hand  in  the  overthrow  of  Jerusalem.  Thus,  Mat. 
H")  :  2S,  "There  be  some  standing  here  who  shall  not  taste  of  death 
till  they  sec  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom:"  and  in  Mat. 
24:  3,  34,  to  the  question,  "What  shall  be  tlio  sign  of  tiiy  c(>n>- 
ing?"  Jesus  answered  in  various  particulars,  and  then  said, 
•'  Verily,  this  generation  shall  not  pass,  till  all  these  things  be  ful- 
filled."    The  leading  tiiuuglit  iu  this  chapter  is  that  with  which  it 


IS6  KEVELATIOX.— CHAP,  XI. 

begins — the  destruction  of  the  city  and  temple. The  New  Tea* 

tament  conception  therefore  of  Clirist's  settinii  up  his  kingdom  on 
the  earth  gives  us,  on  the  side  of  its  spiritual  forces,  the  descent 
of  the  Holy  Ghost;  on  the  physical  side,  the  overthrow  of  Jerusa- 
lem. These  were  great,  central,  representative  events,  and  they 
serve  net  only  to  date  the  hcginning  of  his  kingdom,  so  that  it  could 
be  said  after  these  events  to  have  come,  or  to  be  set  up,  but  they 
are  the  precursor,  the  pledge,  the  prophecy  of  further  victories — 
the  grand  assurance  of  linal  and  perfect  victory  over  every  foe, 
even  till  Jesus  shall  rule,  one  and  alone,  sole  King  and  Lord  of  all 
the  earth.  Xo  doubt  it  is  somewhat  in  this  prospective  aspect  and 
bearing  of  this  first  event,  considered  as  foreshadowing  and  guar- 
anteeing other  like  victories  onward  in  future  time,  that  the  song 
of  heaven  is  sc  exultant.  This  very  song  is  a  prophecy.  It  seizes 
upon  the  first  grand  display  of  (jiod's  providential  forces  in  the 
destruction  of  his  antagonist,  and  confidently  forecasts  the  final 
and  perfect  victory.  Thus  1  understand  the  meaning  of  the  great 
voices  in  heaven,  saying,  "  The  kingdom  of  this  world  is  become 
the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and  he  shall  reign  forever  and  ever." 
The  elders,  speaking  for  tlie  ransomed  already  gathered  home 
before  the  throne,  give  thanks  to  (Jod  that  at  length  he  has  taken 

to  himself  his  great  power  and  has  begun  to  exert  it. Their 

enumeration  of  particulars  (v.  18)  should  be  carefully  noted: 
"  And  the  nations  wei*e  angry,  and  thy  wrath  has  come."  The 
allusion  here  is  to  Ps.  2  :  1  :  "Why  do  the  heathen  [the  nations'] 
rage?"  taken  up  by  Peter  (Acts.  4  :  25,  26):  "Who  by  the  mouth 
of  David  hast  said.  Why  did  the  heathen  rage?"  etc.  "The  kings 
of  the  earth  stood  up  and  tlio  rulers  Avere  gathered  together  against 
the  Lord  and  against  his  Christ.  For  of  a  truth  against  thy  ludy 
child  Jesus,  both  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate  with  the  Gentiles  and 
the  people  of  Israel  were  gathered  together,"  etc.  The  vital  fact 
was  that  when  God  brought  forth  his  anointed  Son  into  this  world 
to  make  him  "Lord  of  all,"  the  nations  were  enraged  and  took 
\iis  life;  and  now  God's  wrath  is  come  upon  them  in  righteous 
but  terrible  retribution  !  The  correspondence  in  the  language  is 
half  obscured  by  our  English  translation,  which  should  have  pre- 
served the  relation  between  their  wrath  and  God's  wrath  by  trans- 
lating either,  "  The  nations  were  angry  and  thine  anger  has  come ; " 
or,  "  The  nations  were  wroth,  and  tliy  wrath  has  come."  The  idea 
is  that  God  met  them  hand  to  hand  with  their  own  weapons. 
They  persecuted  his  Son  and  his  people  unto  blood:  God  meets 
them  with  his  opposing  forces  unto  blood!  They  had  madly  cried, 
"  Crucify  him !  and  if  there  is  any  blood  to  he  shed  for  it,  let  it 
be  the  blood  of  ourselves  and  of  our  children ! "  whereupon  the 
Almighty  took  up  their  challenge,  and  now  the  blood  of  the  slain 
Jesus  has  come  upon  them  and  their  children,  till  there  is  no  spot 

unstained  in  all  that  doomed  city ! "  And  the  time  of  the  dead 

that  they  should  be  judged" — not  of  all  the  dead  indiscriminately, 
good  and  bad,  and  of  all  the  ages;  but  specifically,  as  to  the  point 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XI.  137 

fn  liand — the  time  of  the  dead  njartjrs,  -whose  cry  for  this  very 
judgment  we  heard  from  under  the  altar  at  the  opening  of  tlio 
fifth  seal.  It  was  told  them  that  there  was  to  be  a  short  delay, 
and  then  judgment  would  fall  upon  their  persecutors;  God's  cau.se 
would  be  avenged,  and  his  and  their  foes  must  fall.  Now,  there- 
fore, appropriately,  the  twenty-four  elders,  who  heard  that  prayer 
of  the  martyred  dead,  allude  to  the  fact  that  the  time  has  come  at 
length!  So  the  next  clause  plainly  implies:  "And  that  thou 
shouldst  give  reward  unto  thy  servants  the  prophets  and  to  the 
saints,  and  to  them  tliat  fear  thy  name,  smsiU  and  great."  Not  to 
the  old  Hebrew  prophets  alone,  though  they  are  in  a  sort  included, 
as  we  may  liave  noticed  in  Christ's  own  allusion  to  the  moral 
causes  which  demanded  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  :  "Thou  that  killest 
the  prophets  and  stonest  them  that  are  sent  [apostles]  unto  thee" 
(Mat.  23:  34-38).  All  the  martyred  dead — the  two  slain  witnesses 
and  all  the  host  whom  they  represent — all  the  persecuted,  aftlictod 
ones,  small  or  great,  are  now  to  have  their  reward  in  the  fearful, 
significant,  yet  joyful  overthrow  of  this  first  and  chief  antagonist 
of  Christ  in  his  kingdom.  The  Almighty  God  has  come  down  to 
destroy  them  that  are  morally  destroying  the  land,  whose  crimes 
have  made  society  rotten  to  the  core,  who  have  broken  down  all 
civil  law,  all  wholesome  restraint  upon  the  most  diabolic  passions 
of  depraved  human  hearts.  Almost  never  on  the  face  of  human 
history  have  men  seen  a  more  terrible  significance  to  the  words, 
"them  that  destroy  the  earth"  [land],  than  is  shown  in  the  history 
of  Palestine  during  the  lapse  of  the  generation  which  perishell 

within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  on  her  fall. Thus  it  appears  that 

this  description  of  the  events  of  the  seventh  trumpet,  Avhen  scrip- 
turally  interpreted,  not  only  admits  but  demands  the  construction 
Mhich  applies  it  to  the  fall  of  Jerusalem. 

2.  It  remains  to  show  that  the  course  of  the  preceding  seals  and 
trumpets  has  Ijrought  us  precisely  to  this  great  event — to  no  point 
short  of  it,  and  to  no  point  beyond. 

Let  us  begin  witli  the  date  of  this  book,  the  actual  present  of 
the  writer,  which  must  be  put  about  A.  D.  65.  Then  "  the  things 
that  must  shortly  come  to  pass,"  "  for  the  time  is  at  hand,"  must 
commence  very  soon.  Then  the  first  four  seals  describe  scenes  so 
closely  analogous  to  the  events  predicted  by  Christ  as  immediately 
preceding  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  that  we  can  not  mistake  in  apply- 
ing them  also  to  those  times.  The  martyrs  whose  souls  are  seen 
under  the  altar  at  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal  were  to  wait  yet 
but  a  little  season  ere  God  would  hear  their  prayer,  and  judge 
and  avenge  their  blood  on  their  persecutors  and  murderers.  Here, 
under  the  seventh  trumpet  "  the  time  of  the  dead  [martyrs]  that 
they  should  be  judged  "  (II:  18)  has  fully  come.  This  "yet  for  a 
little  season  "  can  not  carry  us  beyond  the  fall  of  Jerusalem ;  it 
can  not  close  earlier  tlian  tliat  event.  'J'hon  the  scaling  of  the  one 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  (chap  7)  must  be  the  rescuing 
of  a  great  multitude  of  Jews  by  their  cordial  reception  of  Jesus, 


138  REVELATION.— CIIAl'.  XL 

who  thus  yielded  to  tlio  testifying  and  exhorting  of  Peter  (Acta 
2:  40)  when  he  said,  "Save  yourselves  from  this  untoward  gen- 
eration."    This  gathering  in  of -Jewish  converts  was  mainly  closed 

up  before  the  blast  of  ruin  swept  over   their  city. The  sixth 

seal   sets  forth   unutterable   terror   and   dread. Of  the    seven 

trumpets  developed  from  the  seventh  seal,  the  first  four  porten<l 
the  gathering  storm,  set  forth  the  skirmish  fires,  the  flying  charges 
that  precede  the  grand  assault.  The  fifth  trumpet  foretokened 
rather  torture  than  death — men's  hearts  trembling  under  woeful 
anticipations  and  that  sinking  of  hope  into  the  bitterness  of  despair 
which  befell  the  Jews  when  their  destiny  to  national  ruin  became 
inevitable,  corresponding  to  the  point  made  by  Christ  touching  the 
same  period — "men's  hearts  failing  them  for  fear."  Then  the 
sixth  trumpet  set  forth  the  gathering  hosts  of  Eoman  legions 
closing  in  upon  the  doomed  city.  Must  not  this  be  the  last  pre- 
cursor of   the   final   crisis  ? But   two  things  more   are  to   be 

shown  ;  the  symbol  of  the  temple  and  altar  measured  out  for  sal- 
vation, and  the  court  given  over  to  the  Gentiles  to  be  ti'odden 
under  their  heathen  feet;  and  then  the  history  of  the  two  wit- 
nesses— their  mission,  their  martyrdom,  the  contempt  heaped  upon 
their  unburied  remains,  their  glorious  resurrection  and  the  pre- 
liminary crash  upon  the  gvcat  city  that  ensued; — all  these  things 
are  the  last  immediate  precursors  of  the  final  fall  of  that  city  long 
spared  and  wi^rned  and  wept  over  by  the  Great  Man  of  Sorrows, 
but  hopelessly  incoiTigible  and  therefore  hopelessly  doomed  to  ages 
of  desolation  !  The  time  has  come  for  the  bolts  of  vengeance  to  leap 
from  the  hand  of  the  Almighty;  the  strong  angel  has  solemnly 
affirmed  with  hand  uplifted — "  There  shall  be  delay  no  longer;  "  — 
therefore  we  are  brought  to  precisely  the  crisis  of  her  final  fall :  the 
seventh  angel's  trumpet  involves  it — nothing  less;  nothing  more. 
It  may  not  be  amiss  to  suggest  two  other  thoughts,  viz.,  (1.) 
that  the  omission  in  this  passage  of  all  symbols  of  destruction — 
of  all  effort  to  paint  the  final  crash  of  the  falling  city  and  nation — 
may  be  itself  implied  in  the  prohibition,  "  Seal  up  those  things 
ohich  the  seven  thunders  uttered  and  write  them  not"  (10:  4). 
Also  (2.)  that  rhetorically  this  omission  is  sublimely  grand.  The 
power  of  awful  symbol  would  seem  to  have  been  exhausted 
already.  It  is  not  easy  to  conceive  how  any  thing  more  appalling 
or  more  dreadful  could  have  been  devised,  worthy  of  the  mo- 
mentous catastrophe.  In  such  an  emergency,  silence  is  wisdom  ; 
or  rather,  it  is  wise  to  forbear  any  attempt  to  present  the"  fearful 
catastrophe  in  darker  colors.  The  perfection  of  art  and  skill  is 
now  to  leave  the  rest  to  the  imagination,  and  let  men  infer  it  from 
the  impressions  it  makes  upon  the  holy  witnesses  thereof  before 
the  throne — the  enraptured  songs  that  thrill  all  heaven  in  the 
sublimely  grand  forecast  of  the  Gi-eat  Conqueror's  triumph ! 

19.  And  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven,  and 
tliere  was  seen  in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his  te.stamcnt:  and 


EEVELATION.— CIIAr.  XL  139 

there  were  liylitniiigfj,  and  voices,  and  thiiii<lciiiigs,  and  an 
earthquake,  and  great  hail. 

As  heaven  was  opened  to  the  seer  at  the  l)ep;inninjf  of  this  creat 
eeries  of  prophetic  visions  (4:  1),  a  yet  nearer  view  is  perbajis 
indicated  here  by  the  settini;  open  of  the  heavenly  temple.  Ob- 
viously ifc  is  the  holy  of  holies,  the  most  holy  apartment  of  the 
temple,  that  is  here  opened  to  view,  for  within  it  is  seen  "  the  ark 
of  the  covenant,"  the  sacred  symbol  of  God's  perpetual  relation- 
ship to  his  covenant  people  as  their  faithful  God.  It  was  a 
precious  thoui!;ht  to  the  pious  Jew  that  the  holy  places  and  things 
made  with  liuman  hands  were  only  the  patterns  of  things  in  tlie 
heavens  Avhere  was  a  holier  temple,  a  more  sacred  altar,  a  more 
gterious  ark  of  tiio  covenant  overshadowed  with  sublinicr  Aviuiis 
of  chei-ul)im,  and  disclosing;  a  for  more  august  splendor  of  tlie 
visible  glory.  This  conception  seems  to  be  assumed  here;  the 
open  door  into  that  up])er  temple  brings  to  this  seer's  view  es- 
pecially the  heavenly  ark  of  the  covenant — the  standing  witness  in 
this  case  that  God  remembered  his  true  and  enduring  people,  and 
had  sent  his  angel  of  destruction  down  with   the  judgments  of 

retribution   upon    their   persecutors. "  There   were   lightnings, 

and  thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail ;  " — and  what 
were  these  but  the  echoes  of  the  dreadful  storm  of  divine  ven- 
geance foretokened  by  the  blast  of  the  seventh  trumpet?  These 
convulsive  hcavings  and  throbbing?  of  the  great  heart  of  nature 
were  in  sympathy  with  the  divine  indignation  against  the  awful 
wickedness  which  had  murdered  the  Son  of  God  and  which  had 
long  made  Jerusalem  crimson  with  the  blood  of  prophets  and 
apostles  and  martj-rs  for  Jesus.  Similar  convulsions  of  nature  ap- 
peared (see  8  :  3-o)  when  the  smoke  of  incense  significant  of  the 
prayers  of  saints  went  up  before  God  out  of  the  angel's  hand,  and 
he  filled  his  censor  with  fire  of  the  altar  and  cast  it  to  the  earth; 
then  "  there  were  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and 
an  earthquake."  Yet  more  precisely  analogous  were  the  scenes 
when  the  seventh  angel  "  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air  (16  :  17, 
18),  and  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven 
from  the  throne,  saying,  It  is  done!"  Great  Kome  is  foredoomed 
to  fall  1  Then  "  there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings ; 
and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  such  as  was  not  since  men  were 
upon  the  earth,  so  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  so  great."  Why 
should  not  these  mighty  agencies  of  the  material  world,  God  s 
ready  servants,  manifest  their  sympathy  with  the  will  and  the 
emotions  of  their  omnipotent  Maker  and  Sovereign?  When  his 
infinite  mind  kindles  to  the  demands  of  a  righteous  indignatidu 
and  a  terrible  retribution  upon  the  incorrigibly  guilty,  why  shdiild 
not  all  nature  speak  out  with  her  voice  of  thunder  and  let  her 
lightnings  blaze  and  make  the  solid  earth  shake  to  her  founda- 
tions? Such  demonstrations  are  most  belitting;  they  are  the  wit- 
uees  which  all  nature  bears  to  her  .sympathy  with  her  King. 


140  REVELATION.— CIIAr.  XI. 

Here  the  curtain  falls  and  the  first  grand  drama  of  this  apoea- 
lyptic  book  closes.  Tlie  first  great  antagonist  power  •which 
sought  to  strangle  Christianity  in  its  birth  was  practically  wiped 
out.  That  malign,  invincible  hate  which  could  not  bear  the  pun- 
gent rebukes  of  Jesus  while  he  lived,  which  would  not  receive 
(rod's  word  from  his  lips,  which  pursued  him  unto  death,  and 
then  pursued  his  followers  with  like  rage,  "breathing  out  threat- 
ening and  slaughter,"  and  which  according  to  history  excited  per- 
secution against  the  faitiiful  witnesses  for  Christ  wherever  they 
went,  had  gone  to  the  full  length  of  its  line,  and  at  this  fatal  point 
had  encountered  the  Almighty  God  and  must  needs  dinnk  the  cup 
of  his  retributive  vengeance !  That  bloody  and  morally  hardened 
city  has  gone  down  with  a  crash  of  destruction ;  there  is  joy  in 
heaven  over  her  fall !  It  witnesseth  that  the  kingdom  of  Jcsns 
Messiah  is  victorious:  it  prophesieth  that  every  foe  of  this  king- 
dom must  fall ;  and  all  the  holy  around  the  throne  above  have  joy 
therein  1 

Before  I  close  this  first  main  division  of  the  book  and  pass  on 
to  the  second,  I  must  pause  for  a  moment  to  say  in  support  of  the 
interpretation  above  given — 

1.  That  only  one  system  of  interpi*eting  this  book  can  he  true. 
If  this  be  the  true  one,  then  no  other  system,  entirely  unlike  this 
can  be. 

2.  That  I  have  no  heart  for  polemic  commentary.  It  may  some- 
times be  a  duty  to  bring  np  and  expose  the  errors  of,  interpreta- 
tion into  which  I  judge  that  good  men  have  fallen;  but  it  can 
never  be  a  pleasant  duty ;  and  for  the  most  part  1  have  purposely 
left  it  undone,  comforting  myself  with  this  view  of  the  case:  that 
presenting  and  sustaining  the  true  interpretation  will  satisfy  intel- 
ligent minds  better.  If  the  interpretation  presented  is  adequately 
supported  and  intelligently  accepted,  no  adverse  system  can  have 
like  adequate  support,  and  therefore  may  be  left  to  full  by  its  own 
weight. 

3.  I  therefore  close  this  statement  of  my  views  respecting  the 
first  great  persecuting  power  of  this  book  by  calling  the  reader's 
attention  to  the  principles  and  laws  of  interpretation  laid  down  in 
the  Introduction.  Have  they,  or  have  they  not,  been  fairly  and 
faithfully  carried  out  ? 

(1.)  First  in  the  order  of  place  and  in  my  view  first  in  impor- 
tance, is  the  rule — "Come  to  this  book  to  learn  what  it  teaches; 
not  to  make  it  teach  what  you  will."  On  this  point  all  I  can  or 
need  say  is  that  I  have  diligently  sought  to  make  the  book  its  own 
interpreter  and  to  keep  my  mind  free  from  all  preconceived  theories 
whatever.  Each  reader  will  judge  how  far  this  purpose  may  seem 
to  have  been  fulfilled. 

(2.)  By  the  second  rule  the  predictions  of  the  book  must  be  in- 
terpreted in  harmony  ivitk  God's  own  declarations  as  to  the  time  of 

their  fulfilhneyit. In  language  which  must  legitimately  apply  to 

the  great  body  of  this  book,  aud  therefore  certainly  to  the  cntii'e 


KEVELATION.-CIIAP.  XI.  141 

prophetic  portion  now  gone  over  (chaps.  4-11),  the  divine  anthor 
has  said,  "the  things  must  shortly  come  to  pass;"  "the  time  is  at 
Land."  Our  interpretation  makes  the  time  sliort — probably  not 
exceeding  five  years  at  farthest.  Yet  this  period  of  time,  dechired 
of  God  to  be  "short"  and  "near  at  hand, '  is  made  by  some  sys- 
tems of  interpretation  about  two  thousand  years!  They  stretch 
the  prophetic  events  of  these  chapters  (4-11)  down  to  the  Millen- 
nium, and  some  of  them  beyond  it,  even  to  the  final  judgment! 
Have  they  not  altogether  overstepped  the  limitations  which  God 

himself  has  set? This  mistake  is  the  more  palpable  and  the 

less  excusable  because  those  interpreters  do  not  even  claim  that 
they  find  any  counter  or  qualifying  statements  declaring  that  the 
time  contemplated  for  the  fuHilluieut  of  any  of  these  prophecies 
(chaps.  4-19)  is  not  short  but  long.  There  is  no  such  coimter  tes- 
tiviony,  in  like  manner  definite  and  precise,  over  against  these 
averments  that  the  time  is  short.  Therefore  the  assumption  that 
the  time  is  long  is  not  only  opposed  squarely  to  God's  own  state- 
ments, but  has  nothing  definite  in  this  part  of  the  book  to  rest 
upon — nothing  whatever  but  the  demand  of  a  preconceived  scheme 
of  interpretation  ! 

(3.)  The  third  rule   insists  that  when  God   interprets   his  own 

symbols,  we  must  accept  and  follow  his  interpretation. So  far 

as  these  divine  interpretations  appear  in  the  Old  Testament,  the 
symbols  used  here  being  manifestly  found  and  interpreted  there, 
the  case  comes  under  our  eighth  rule. Instances  of  symbols  in- 
terpreted in  this  book  directly  will  occur  more  abundantly  in  sub- 
sequent chapters.  We  have  one  of  no  small  importance  in  chap. 
11:4,  which  explains  the  two  witnesses  by  comparing  them  to  "  the 
two  olive  trees  and  the  two  candlesticks  standing  before  the  G(nl 
of  the  whole  earth  " — with  unquestionable  reference  to  Zech.  4, 
and  showing  therefore  that  these  two  witnesses  are  rcpresentativi> 
characters,  not  individual  men ;  and  tliat  their  function  is  that  of 
revealing  the  true  liglit  of  (lod — preachers  of  his  word  and  min- 
isters of  his  grace  to  mankind.  1  have  interpreted  the  two  wit- 
nesses accordingly. 

(4.)  The  fourth  rule  binds  u^  to  interpret  in  harmony  with  what- 
ever allusions  the  book  coJitains  to  knoivn  historic  events  and  localities. 

In  its  description  of  those  who  are  saved  out  of  the  ruin  there 
iuiplied,  the  seventh  chapter  gives  us  the  usual  well  defined  his- 
toric distinction  between  Jews  and  Gentiles — one  hundred  and 
forty-four  thousand  Jews;  and  then  "a  great  multitude  that  no 
man  could  number  of  all  nations,"  who  of  course  are  Gentiles. 
Consequently  this  prophecy  refers  to  a  period  when  converts  to 
('hrist  were  gathered  from  both  .Jews  and  (Jentilcs,  and  therefore 
shuts  oir  many  schemes  of  construction  which  at  this  point  have 
reached  far  beyond  the  apostolic  age,  even  down  to  tlie  sixth  or 
eighth  century,  where  no  history  gives  any  notice  of  conversions 
from  the  Jews. 

In  chap.  11  these  historic  allusions  stand  out  with  great  distinct- 


142  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XI. 

ness.  Here  is  the  temple  still  standin<x,  but  very  near  its  fall; 
here  is  the  very  city  ol"  Jerusalem,  designated  spiritually  as  a 
Becond  Hodom  or  Etrypt,  but  literally  as  precisely  tlie  ))lace  where 
the  Lord  was  crucified — allusions  tlierefore  that  positively  fix  the 
-place  and  the  time  of  these  great  events  Avhich  arc  the  climax  and 
consummation  of  the  plagues  foretold  thus  far  in  this  book.  It  is 
not  easy  to  see  how  (iod  could  put  the  finger  of  prophecy  more 
squarely  upon  Jerusalem  and  its  once  holy  but  now  desecrated 
temple  than  he  has  done  here.  Coupled  with  the  general  limita- 
tion of  the  great  events  of  this  book — "near  at  hand" — these  his- 
toric allusions  to  time  and  place  are  surely  decisive.  I  have  there- 
fore interpreted  accordingly.  Moved  and  guided  by  the  one 
supreme  purpose  to  follow  God's  own  teaching,  how  could  1  inter- 
pret otherwise  ? 

(5.)  Our  fifth  rule  requires  that  we  follow  whatever  indications 
the  book  may  give  to  show  that  Christians  then  or  recently  living 
were  the  mart^TS  to  whom  it  refers,  and  their  persecutors  the  men 

whose  destruction  is  here  foreshown. Bearing  in  mind  that  all 

these  things  were  shortly  to  come  to  pass,  and  comparing  what  is 
said  in  the  special  letter  to  Smyrna  {'1 :  10),  and  in  that  to  Perga- 
mos  (2:  13),  with  the  scenes  at  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal  (ij  : 
9-11),  it  seems  to  me  clear  that  John's  first  readers  must  have 
understood  those  martyred  saints  to  be  of  their  own  age  and  fYom 
their  own  churches;  and  of  course  their  persecutors  were  also  men 
of  their  own  times.  Consequently  1  have  felt  bound  to  interpret 
accordingly.  This  limitation  shuts  off  all  those  schemes  of  inter- 
pretation which  find  the  fifth  seal  fir  along  in  the  Christian  cen- 
turies from  four  to  sis  or  eight  hundred  years  after  Christ. 

(6.)  Our  sixth  rule  recognizes  the  fact  that  several  successive 
seals  are  broken  before  the  prophecy  gives  any  definite  name  or 
clew  to  the  parties  intended — eithei'  to  the  Christians  who  suflered, 
or  to  their  persecutors  whom  God  would  smite  with  plagues;  and 
it  infers  from  this  silence  that  the  first  readers  of  the  book,  re- 
membering what  was  said  of  the  time  being  near  at  hand,  would 
know  who  were  meant  without  any  precise  naming.  They  under- 
stood their  own  times.  The  limitations  with  which  the  book  botli 
opens  and  closes  held  them  to  their  own  times  for  both  these  par- 
ties— the  Christians  martyred,  and  the  wicked  men  who  murdered 
them.  The  omission  of  both  their  names  and  locality  through  so 
many  chapters  is  readily  accounted  for  on  this  assumption.  Our 
interpretation  has  been  put  in  harmony  with  this  principle  or  law 
of  interpretation. 

(7.)  The  book  has  an  obvious  moral  purpose,  viz.,  to  sustain 
and  inspire  the  faith,  courage  and  endurance  of  Christians  in  peril 
from  persecution.  We  must  interpret  in  harmony  M'ith  this  most 
obvious  moral  purpose.  We  do  so  when  m'c  find  the  events  veiy 
near  their  own  times  and  their  oivn  homes,  for  such  events  always 
thrill  men's  souls  intensely.  Following  this  rule,  we  must  assume 
that  they  in  the  main  understood  the  book;  consequently  that  it 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XII.  143 

spake  of  thinirs  then  near  at  hand,  and  did  not  speak  of  thinjig 
entirely  beyond  tlie  rani^c  of  their  possible  knowlcdjie.  This  rule 
tlierefore  practically  shuts  olF  all  those  schemes  of  intcrprctalion 
Avhich  run  these  prophetic  events  onward  down  tlirough  the  subse- 
quent centuries,  even  to  the  end  of  the  Avorld. 

(8.)  Our  eighth  rule  demands  that  symliols  borrowed  from  the 
Old  Testament  should  be  construed  in  general  harmony  with  their 

usage  there. Accordingly  1  have  interpreted  the  horses  of  the 

first  four  seals  in  harmony  with  their  prototypes  in  Zech.  1  and  (>, 
grouping  them  to  give  one  comprehensive  idea,  here  as  there,  and 
not  dissociating  them  utterly  and  spreading  them,  out  over  whole 

centuries  of  human  history. The  sealing  of  the  thousands  (in 

chap.  7)  I  found  in  Ezekiel's  similar  marking  of  holy  men,  and 

construed   accordingly. The   "books,"  both  the   first   with   kn 

seven  seals,  and  the  second,  the  "little  book,"  I  trace  to  Ezekiel's 
roll,  and  therefore  take  to  be  prophetic  disclosures  of  impending 

judgments. The  descriptive  points  given  of  the  two  witnesses 

are  obviously  gathered  from  sacred  history,  either  of  the  Old  Te.s- 
tament  or  of  the  New.     1  have  interpreted  accordingly. 

(9.)  And  finally  I  have  aimed,  especially  in  the  closing  verses 
of  chap.  11,  to  use  freely  and  yet  not  abuse  that  great  law  of 
propiiecy  by  which  the  mind  passes  over  by  analogy  from  a  nearer 
event  to  events  remote,  but  in  their  great  underlying  princijiles 
similar.  Thus  the  songs  of  heaven  upon  the  fall  of  Jerusalem 
sweep  over  the  ages  and  grasp  the  downfaH  of  every  great  oppos- 
ing force,  and  take  in  the  glorious  inspirations  of  the  final  triumph 
of  Christ  over  all"  the  powers  of  darkness,  sin  and  Satan.  Thus 
those  sublime  words  both  fill  their  place  a«  related  to  the  immedi- 
ate catastrophe  which  called  them  forth,  and  also  follow  the  law 
of  numerous  Old  Testament  prophecies  in  rising  grandly  from  the 
particular  to  the  general— from  the  one  limited  but  typical,  fore- 
shadowing event,  to  the  grand  and  final  consummation  of  all  gospel 
labors  and  conflicts — the  reign  of  Jesus  ^Messiah,  supreme  and  uni- 
versal. 


C  II  A  P  T  E  11    X  I  I . 

A  new  subject  comes  before  us;  new  scenes  open  and  new  sj-m- 

lols  appear. This  chapter  raises  three  preliminary  questions : 

— (1.)  Who  are  the  three  leading  personages  here  : — the  woman, 

her   child,   and    the    great    red   dragon  ? (2.)  Why  are   these 

scenes  shown  the  prophet  as  located  in  heaven,  since  "the  transac- 
tions are  located  chiefly  on  earth? (3.)   Wliat  was   the   object 

Bought  in  thus  going  back  to  matters  of  earlier  history — the  birth 
of  Christ;  the  persecutions  raised  against  him  and  his'people,  etc? 


144  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XII. 

(1.)  These  personages  are  in  my  view  rrpresenfaiive  characters, 
the  woman  represcntinu;  the  church;  her  child,  the  Messiah;  and 
the  great  dragon,  "  the  old  serpent,"  iSatan.  That  the  church 
should  be  represented  as  a  woman  comes  by  imitation  from  the 
old  Hebrew  prophets,  especially  Isaiah.  See  chaps.  49:  20-23, 
and  54  :  1-6,  and  62  :  4,  5,  and  66  :  7-12.  In  all  these  passages 
except  the  last  named,  the  offspring  of  the  woman  arc  her  con- 
verts, and  especially  Gentile  Christians  coming  to  her  in  throng- 
ing hosts,  crowding  her  tent-room  and  bringing  riches,  glory,  honor 
and  joy  to  her  happy  household.  But  in  Isa.  66  :  7  we  have  this 
remarkable  language  which  seems  to  have  been  in  the  mind  of 
the  revealing  Spirit  in  this  chapter :   "  Before  her  pain  came  she 

was  delivered  of  a  man-child." It  is  pertinent  to  refer  also  to 

passages  where  the  birth  of  the  Messiah  is  definitely  predicted, 
and  of  course,  of  some  mother  in  the  ancient  Jewish  church;  e.g., 
Isa.  7  :  14.  "  Behold  a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a  son,  and 
shall  call  his  name  Immanuel;  " — also  9:6:  "  Unto  us  a  child  is 
born;  unto  us  a  son  is  given;  and  the  government  shall  be  upon 
his  shoulder;  and  his  name  shall  be  called,  Wonderful,  Coun- 
selor, The  Mighty  God,  The  Everlasting  Father,  The  Prince  of 
peace."  Also  Mic.  5  :  2—4  :  "  Out  of  Bethlehem  shall  he  come  forth 
unto  me  that  is  to  be  Ruler  in  Israel,"  etc.  "  Therefore  shall  he 
give  them  up  until  the  time  that  she  which  travaileth  hath  brought 
forth,"  etc. ;  "  and  he  shall  stand  and  feed "  [like  a  shepherd] 
"in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,"  etc.  Both  these  sets  of  passages 
seem  to  have  been  before  the  mind  of  John,  the  former  class  giv- 
ing the  church  representatively  as  a  mother;  the  latter  present- 
ing her  offspring,  the  ojie  man-child,  the  promised  ^Messiah. 

That  this  child  in  the  chapter  before  us  is  the  Messiah  is  shown 
plainly  in  v.  5  ; — was  "  to  rule  all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron  " — 
a  very  obvious  allusion  to  the  prophecv,  Psalms  2:  7-9;  and 
"caught  up"    [after    his    resurrection]    "unto   God    and   to    his 

throne  ;  "  exalted  to  supreme  power  there. The  "great  dragon" 

is  sharply  defined  and  identified  in  vs.  9,  10,  as  we  shall  see. 

(2.)  Why  are  these  scenes  shown  to  the  prophet  in  heaven,  since 

for  the   most  part   they  are  transacted  on    the  earth  ? These 

prophetic  visions  seem  to  have  brought  heaven  and  earth  very 
near  together  and  to  have  shown  their  wonderfully  intimate  rela- 
tions to  each  other.  While  most  of  them  are  located  in  heaven, 
the  scenes  are  occasionally  shifted  to  earth  Avith  striking  facility 
{e.  ff.,  cha}:^  10:  1,  2,  4,  5,  and  11:  1,  2,  etc.).  All  these  prophetic 
events  originate  in  the  great  plan  and  purpose  of  God  and  there- 
fore, in  a  vital  sense,  have  their  source  in  heaven.  Hence  when 
the  object  was  to  lead  the  prophet  up  to  the  fountain-head,  the 
spring  whence  these  streams  of  influence  proceed,  ho  must  needs 

be  taken  up  to  heaven. Finally,  it  was  deemed  important  no 

doubt  to  show  the  prophet  how  deeply  these  matters  pertaining  to 
the  earthly  Zion  take  hold  of  the  sympathies  of  all  the  holy 
around  the  infinite  throne.     Ilence   there  was  the    utmost   perti- 


REVELATION— CHAP.  XI I.  14o 

nencc  und  fitness  in  thus  laying  the  scones  of  these  symbols  in 
heaven. 

(3.)  I  have  in  part  anticipatetl  my  tliird  point  so  far  forth  as  re- 
Bpects  the  object  sought  in  locating  these  scenes  in  heaven.  It 
remains  to  speak  of  the  oliject  sought  in  going  back  historically  to 
the  birth  of  the  Messiah  and  its  attendant  circumstances.  In  my 
view  tlie  object  was  to  show  the  persecuted  saints  of  that  age 
where  the  fiery  persecutions  they  feared  or  sufiered  had  their  ori- 
gin ;  to  fix  their  eye  on  that  "  old  serpent"  who  began  his  diabolic 
work  in  Eden,  wlio  tasked  his  utmost  hellish  art  and  power  to 
crush  the  infant  Jesus,  and  indeed  to  tempt  the  man  Jesus,  both 
first  at  the  beginning  of  his  public  ministry,  and  last,  near  its  close, 
in  the  scenes  of  Gethsemane  and  Calvary.  It  was  well  for  them  to 
be  reminded  that  Jesus  had  been  in  this  fight  before  them  and 
had  personally  conquered  !  It  was  well  for  them  to  know  where 
the  great  battle-field  now  lav,  and  that  this  was  their  time  for 
valiant  fight  and  steadfast  endurance  even  if  need  be  unto  blood ! 
One  of  the  prime  objects  in  this  entire  chapter  is  manifestly  to 
put  the  de\'il  in  his  true  light  as  the  chief  persecutor,  the  arch- 
traitor  and  rebel  against  the  throne  of  God— the  chieftain  who 
heads  all  the  sin  and  all  the  war  against  God  and  goodness  Avhich 
appear  in  the  universe.  Let  all  Christians  know  their  enem_y; 
let  them  know  his  past  historj',  his  present  designs,  his  determined 
antagonism  to  the  Messiah  and  to  his  church  and  people;  and  his 

certain  defeat  and  shameful  fall  in  tlie  end. Such  are  the  high 

and.  morally  useful  purposes  sought  in  this  chapter. 

Accordingly  we  have  here  the  woman  and  her  peculiar  condi- 
tl(m  (vs.  1,  2);  the  dragon  and  his  followers  (vs.  3,4);  the  birth 
of  the  man-child,  etc.  (v.  5);  tlie  woman-mother  protected  (v.  6); 
the  great  battle  in  heaven  and  its  immediate  results  (vs.  7,  8) ; 
the  dragon  identified  and  cast  out  (v.  9);  the  consequent  joy  and 
songs  in  heaven  (vs.  10,  11);  the  devil  on  earth  persecuting  the 
woman  (vs.  12,  13);  the  fight  prolonged  (vs.  14-17). 

X.  And  there  appeared  a  great  wonder  iu  heaven ;  a 
woman  dothed  with  the  sim,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet, 
and  upon  her  lieud  a  crown  of  twelve  stars; 

2.  And  she  heing  with  child  cried,  travailing  in  birtli, 
and  pained  to  be  delivered. 

"A  great  wonder"— an  olijcct  whirh  excited  great  attention, 
perhaps  great  surprise — a  personage  of  most  striking  appearance. 

lier  array  and  adorning  seem  to  come  from  the  Bong  of  Sul- 

omon  (G  :  4,  10),  "  Looking  ibrth  as  the  morning,  fair  as  the  moon, 
clear  as  the  sun,"  etc.  ''The  twelve  stars"  may  have  a  tacit  ref- 
erence  to  the   twelve  tribes  of  the   ancient  Zion. The   human  ' 

birth  and  incarnation  of  the  Messiah  seem  to  be  presented  tlius 
mainly  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  great  dragon  in  his  true 
rclation.s  to  Christ  and  to  all  Christ's  \vork  and  people. 


146  REVELATION— CHAP.  XII. 

3.  And  there  appeared  anotlier  Avouder  in  heaven  ;  and 
behokl  a  great  red  dragon,  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns,  and  seven  crowns  upon  his  heads. 

"  Dragon  "  [Greek,  Drakon]  is  but  anotlicr  name  for  a  <rreat  ser- 
pent. ''  Red  "  may  signify  his  Ijlood}'  spirit  and  purpose  ;  his  seven 
heads  betoken  extreme  cunning;  and  his  ten  horns  a  very  for- 
luidable  power.  The  crowns  or  diadems  upon  his  heads  show  him 
to  be  the  Prince  among  the  Spirits  of  darkness  and  rebellion. 

4.  And  his  tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of 
heaven,  and  did  cast  them  to  the  earth  :  and  the  dragon 
stood  before  the  woman  which  was  ready  to  be  delivered, 
for  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born. 

"His  tail  drcAV  the  third  part,"  etc.;  he  led  the  first  rebellion 

in  the  universe. "  The  stars  of  heaven  " — among  and  of  those 

"  morning  stars  "  of  whom  it  is  said  (Job  38  :  7)  that  on  the  birth 
of  our  world  they  "  sang  together  and  shouted  for  joy."  The  usage 
of  the  word  "  star  "  for  a  distinguished  personage  appears  else- 
where (Num.  24:   17,  and  Isa.  14:  12). AVhether  the  relative 

number  stated  here — one-third  part — gives  us  proximately  the 
extent  of  that  fearful  rebellion  in  heaven,  is  perhaps  too  much  for 
us  to  afiirm.  It  may  be  so.  It  is  however  more  clear  that  the 
writer  speaks  in  derision  of  their  obsequiousness  and  servility  in 
meanly  following  the  great  head  rebel — ^^  his  tail  drew  ihem!" 
Would  it  not  have  been  incompai'ably  more  iiol)le  for  them  to  have 
stood  fast  in  their  allegiance  to  heaven's  glorious  King  than  so 
meanly  to  suffer  themselves  to  be  drawn  into  most  guilty  rebellion 

by  the  dragon's  tail! The  dragon  deemed  it  a  great" point  of 

strategy  to  seize  the  infant  child  as  soon  as  born  and  crush  him 
there  in  his  weakness.  But  a  higlier  and  sharper  mind  than  his 
saw  through  his  plan  and  thwarted  it. 

5.  And  she  brought  forth  a  man-cliikl,  who  was  to  Tule 
all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron  :  and  her  child  was  caught 
up  unto  God,  aud  to  his  throne. 

As  already  indicated  this  can  be  no  other  than  the  incarnate 
jMessiah,  born  of  a  human  mother,  yet  here  thought  of  as  born  of 
the  ancient  Zion  church,  the  product  of  her  faith  and  prayer,  the 
gift  of  God  to  his  waiting  church  according  to  long  standing 
promise  and  covenant. The  descriptive  clause,  "  Kule  all  na- 
tions with  a  rod  of  iron,"  comes  from  Ps.  2:  9.  It  should  be 
specially  noted  that  the  Greek  verb  here  combines  the  two  ideas, 
of  ruling  and  of  feeding  as  a  sInyhenL  The  aspect  of  inm  power 
comes  from  what  was  specially  peculiar  and  prominent  in  David 
wl'O  stands  in  that  second  psalm  as  a  controlling  type  of  Christ, 
David  as  king  was  distinguished  for  subduing  the  long  standing 
iind^ fearfully  annoying  enemies  of  Israel  on  every  side,     lie  was 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XII.  147 

a  m:in  of  blood.  In  certain  aspects  of  his  character  his  greater 
Son  must  be  like  him;  and  tliose  aspects  are  necessarily  rather 
prominent  in  this  book  of  IJcvelation,  since  it  treats  mostly  of  the 
fearful  judgments  with  which  Jesus,  the  King  of  kings,  will  crush 
the  great  persecuting  forces  of  that  age.  It  must  not  be  inferred 
that  the  rule  of  Christ  over  the  nations  which  constitutes  his 
promised  reign  in  his  gospel  kingdom  will  be  "with  a  rod  of 
iron,"  for  obviously  Christ  is  thought  of  here  as  destroying  his 
enemies  by  his  agencies  in  providence — not  as  ruling  in  and  over 

his  church  by  his  Spirit  and  his  truth. "  Caught  up  to  God  and 

to  his  throne,"  is  an  admirable  presentation  in  vision  of  God's  pro- 
tecting care  of  the  infant  Jesus;  yet  the  history  shows  that  this 
was  not  precisely  the  manner  of  that  protection.  The  infant  was 
made  fully  as  safe  against  the  dragon  as  if  he  had  been  taken  up 
bodily  and  at  once  to  the  heavenly  throne. 

6.  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wildcrnes?,  where  slie 
liath  a  place  prepared  of  God,  tliat  they  should  feed  lier 
there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days. 

This  fleeing  into  the  wilderness  for  shelter  looks  ])ack  his- 
torically to  Israel  brought  out  of  Kgypt  and  sheltered  in  perfect 
safety  in  that  wilderness  of  Arabia  where  no  Kgj-ptian  army  could 
possibly  subsist,  and  of  course  could  not  follow  them — on  the 
margin  of  which  indeed  they  found  their  grave  in  the  waters  of 
tlio  Ked  Sea..  Somewhat  in  the  same  way  Ilosea  says  (2:  14)  "  I 
Avill  bring  her  into  the  wilderness  and  there  will  I  speak  to  her 
heart  " — making  it  a  place  for  moral  discipline,  and  henoe  for  real 
salvation.  But  here  the  main  idea  is  that  of  protection  against  the 
dragon.  There  may  perhaps  be  a  tacit  allusion  to  the  flight  of 
Christians,  shortly  before  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  into  the  mountain 

region  across  the  Jordan. The  duration  of  this  peinod — twelve 

hundred  and  sixty  days — comes  evidently  from  Daniel  where  this 
period  became  historic,  as  the  length  of  Zion's  bitter  trial  and 
])ersecution  under  Antiochus  Epiphanes.  "We  have  no  occasion  to 
inquire  for  precisely  the  same  historic  duration  of  either  the 
church's  protection  or  of  her  sufl"ering  under  persecution.  God 
kept  her  in  that  wilderness  as  long  as  the  occasion  demanded. 
It  was  a  time  which  naturally  suggested  the  similar  period  in  the 

history  of  the   oMaccabees   and    their   heroic    countrj'men. To 

interpret  these  days  to  mean  years  is  just  as  baseless  in  prophecy 
as  it  would  be  in  history.  See  the  Dissertation  in  the  Appendix. 
'J'his  remark  applies  equally  to  v.  14  below. 

7.  And  there  was  war  in  heaven  :  ^Micluu]  and  his  anpfchs 
fought  against  the  dragon';  and  the  dragon  fought  and  his 
angels, 

8.  And  prevailed  not ;  neither  svas  their  phice  found  any 
more  iu  heaven. 


148  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XII. 

It  seems  to  be  implieil  that  when  tl)e  man-chikl  Avas  caught  up 
to  heaven  the  great  dragnn  carried  the  war  thither,  striking  for 
the  murder  of  the  infant  child  there.  Jt  may  })ossibly  rel'er  more 
definitely  to  the  scenes  which  immediately  follt>wed  the  great 
revolt,  since  Ave  can  not  suppose  that  after  they  had  taken  arms 
against  God,  they  could  be  permitted  to  remain  in  heaven.  Prob- 
ably it  is  safest  to  say  that  we  need  not  look  for  precise  historical 
accuracy  in  such  a  symbolic  representation.  It  umy  not  be  amiss 
to  suggest  that  all  which  is  said  here  of  Satan's  relation  to  place 
should  be  taken  as  symbolic  and  representative  rather  than  literal 
and  historic ;  for  what  can  we  know  yet  of  the  relation  of  spirit 

to  place? A  fierce  and  desperate  battle  was  fought  over  the 

new-born  Messiah  :  holy  angels  and  devilish  angels  were  the  op- 
posing hosts,  and  the  victory  turned  gloriously  on  Zion's  side. 

The  allusion  in  v.  10  to  "the  accuser  of  our  brethren"  as  "  cast 
down"  from  heaven,  which  manifestly  looks  somewhat  to  the  history 
of  Job  and  Satan,  seems  to  assume  that  the  battle-ground  is  shifted 
from  heaven  to  earth — the  battle,  1  mean,  over  the  saints  of  God. 

"Prevailed  not"  means,  were  coni|uercd.    And  they  could  find 

no  longer  any  place  in  heaven. 

9.  And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent, 
called  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  ■which  deceiveth  the  whole 
world  :  he  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were 
cast  out  with  him. 

We  may  well  note  the  pains  taken  to  identify  the  "  great  dragon  " 
by  accumulating  all  his  various  names,  somewhat  as  a  criminal 
indictment  against  a  villain  Avho  has  various  assumed  names  will 
carefully  include  them  all  with  each  its  "alias"  to  introduce  it. 
The  "great  dragon"  was  known  as  "the  old  serpent"  in  the 
record  of  the  fall  in  Eden.  lie  had  a  well  earned  "  alias"  in  the 
name  Diabolus — the  devil — in  the  sense  of  "an  accuser  of  the 
[)rethren"  (v.  10),  having  played  this  part  in  early  times  against 
Job.  Another  "alias"  he  had  honestly  won  for  himself  in  the 
name  "Satan" — a  malicious  hatcr^  both  of  God  and  of  all  the 
good — angels  or  men.  Such  are  his  significant  names,  grouped 
together  here  to  suggest. to  the  reader  the  various  points  of  his 
past  history  as  given  in  the  Bible.  This  dragon,  the  writer  would 
say,  is  the  same  old  enemy  of  God  and  man  of  whom  you  have 
heard  so  often — ever  the  same,  though  under  names  however 
many  and  various.  You  will  see  that  his  perpetual  mission  on 
earth  is  that  of  deception  and  lies,  Avhereby  he  "  deceiveth  the 
whole  world" — its  Great  Prince — "the  spirit  that  now  Avorketh 
in  the  children  of  disobedience."  Let  all  the  churches  know  him 
and  know  only  to  detest  and  resist  him.  lie  is  hurled  doAvn  from 
heaven  to  earth,  one  stage  in  that  fearful  fall  midway  from  heaven 
to  hell,  giving  assurance  that  the  same  power  Avliich  cast  him 
headlong  from  heaven  will  ere  lung  plunge  him  from  earth  into 
the  bottomless  abyss — ''  his  o\sn  place," 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XII.  149 

10.  And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  saying  in  heaven,  Now  is 
come  salvation,  and  strength,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God, 
and  the  power  of  his  Christ:  for  the  accuser  of  our  hreth- 
reu  is  cast  down,  which  accused  them  before  our  God  day 
and  night. 

11.  And  they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
and  by  the  Avord  of  their  testimony ;  and  they  loved  nctt 
their  lives  unto  the  death. 

This  grand  defeat  of  Satan  sends  a  thrill  of  joy  tliron<ih  heaven. 
It  is  not  only  a  foot  but  a  prophecy — a  fact  whicli  itself  foretokens 
other  victories  of  like  sort,  only  more  and  more  effective  and  deci- 
sive, tending  more  and  more  ra|ndly  to  the  grand  consummation — 
the  utter  crushing  out  of  Satan  and  his  hosts  and  the  linal  deliv- 
erance of  the   earth  from   his  dominion. This   "  loud  voice  " 

seems  to  come  from  some  representative  of  the  jilorified  saints  in 
heaven — perhaps  from  one  of  the  twenty-four  elders,  for  he  says, 
"The  accuser  of  our  brethren."  Certainly  his  interest  and  sympa- 
thy are  thoroughly  with  the  sons  of  Ziou  who  are  yet  in  the  fii;;lit 

on  the  earth. It  seems  to   have  been  deemed  one  advantage 

gained  over  Satan  that  he  is  hurled  down  from  heaven,  where  he 
had  availed  himself  of  his  high  position  "to  accuse  the  brethren 
before  God  day  and  night."     lie  is  now  branded  as  a  slanderer 

and  made  to  fight  thenceforward  under  his   true   colors. The 

language  in  v.  11  seems  to  assume  that  the  combatants  in  the 
great  battle  with  Satan  were  redeemed  saints,  who  fought  the 
good  fight  of  faith,  and  conquered  throui!;h  the  blood  of  the  Lamb 
and  through  staunch  endurance  and  heroic  witnessing  for  Christ 
and  his  gospel.  Their  example  thus  put  must  have  been  a  sub- 
lime moral  power  upon  the  chui'chcs  of  Asia  in  their  then  pending 

conflict  under  the  feai*  or  the  pressure  of  persecution. Or  may 

it  be  supposed  that  under  the  license  admissible  in  symbolic  vision, 
Michael  and  his  angels  are  thought  of  as  taking  up  this  fight  JMsi 
as  if  they  were  themselves  of  the  redeemed  of  earth,  and  so  per- 
sonating the  saved  of  our  race,  fighting  for  them  and  as  they  must 
needs  fight,  in  order  to  set  forth  the  grand  idea  that  the  victory 
over  Satan,  whether  in  heaven  or  on  earth,  is  evermore  through  the 
blood  of  Christ  and  through  heroic  endurance  for  his  name  ?  We 
may  remember  that  when  .Tesus  was  aljout  to  close  his  earthly 
life  by  that  most  eventful  death,  in  that  prospective  view  which 
gave  him  the  results  of  Gethsemane  and  Calvary,  he  said  (Jn.  12 : 
31),  "Now  shall  the  Prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out."  On  an 
earlier  occasion,  when  the  seventy  came  in  from  their  first  mission, 
saying  with  joyful  surprise,  "Lord,  even  tlie  devils  are  subject  to 
us  through  thy  name,'  he  replied,  "1  beheld  Satan  as  lightning 
fall  from  heaven"  (Luke  10:  18). 

12.  Therefore  rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in 
them.     "NVoe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  and  of  the  sea ! 


150  REVELATION.— CHAr.  XII. 

(pr  the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you,  having  great  wrath, 
because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time. 

"AVoo  to  you,  all  yc  of  the  earth  and  of  the  sea,  for  the  great 
moral  battle-ticld  is  transferred  from  heaven  to  earth  !  Satan  goes 
down  among  you ;  the  light  is  to  be  on  your  soil ;  and  you  should 
know  that  he  is  fearfully  exasperated,  in  great  wrath.  Having 
failed  in  the  conflict  above,  he  makes  his  last  desperate  stand  on 

tiie  earth,  and  he  'knows  that  his  time  is  short! ' " But  "short" 

is  a  relative  term.  To  what  other  time  does  it  here  stand  related  ? 
Js  it  a  short  time  within  which  he  may  possibly  destroy  the  infant 
Jesus  ?  or  a  short  time  in  which  he  may  consume  the  young  and 
feeble  Christian  church  by  the  hot  fires  of  persecution?  or  a  short 
time  even  though  reaching  to  his  being  bound  with  the  great  chain 
as  in  Rev.  20  ?  Or  may  it  be  short  on  the  dial  of  eternity  though 
stretching  to  the  end  of  this  world  ?  The  second  of  these  suppo- 
sitions— a  short  time  yet  for  his  most  hopeful  fight  against  the 
new-born  Christian  church — seems  to  me  most  probable  because 
most  in  harmony  with  the  logic  of  the  context  and  with  the  obvi- 
ous sense  of  the  word  "  short."  It  accounts  for  the  fierceness  of 
those  terrible  persecutions,  and  rings  out  a  note  of  warning  as  well 
as  consolation  to  all  imperiled  Ijelievers.  8tand  to  your  pwst 
staunchly,  for  the  fight  will  be  terrific,  but  it  will  be  short! 

13.  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto  the 
earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman  which  brought  forth  the 
man-c/iiW. 

When  he  saw  himself  cast  out  of  heaven  and  frustrated  in  his 
purpose  against  the  man-child,  he  turned  his  Satanic  hate  and 
power  against  the  woman.  It  became  an  era  of  fierce  persecu- 
tion. Let  all  Christians  know  that  the  persecutions  they  fear  or 
suffer  come  originally  from  the  devil.  It  is  only  a  part  of  his 
great  antagonism  against  the  Infinite  God  and  his  eternal  Son. 
Such  a  view  of  it  assures  the  Christian  heart  of  victory  at  last, 
and  would  show  the  weakest  saint  who  are  his  powerful  allies 
and  co-workers  in  the  fight. 

14.  And  to  the  woman  were  given  two  wings  of  a  great 
eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place, 
where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a 
time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent. 

15.  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  liis  mouth  water  as  a 
flood  after  the  woman,  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  carried 
away  of  the  flood. 

16.  And  the  earth  helped  the  woman;  and  the  earth 
opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  flood  which  the 
dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth. 


PvF^VELATION.— CHAP.  XIIT.  151 

17.  And  the  dragon  Avas  Avroth  with  the  woman,  and 
wont  to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  which 
keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  have  the  testimony 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

Here  as  in  v.  0  the  woman  is  conceived  of  in  symhol  as  findini; 
refuge  in  the  wilderness.  1  see  no  occasion  to  tie  down  the  signifi- 
cance of  this  S3-mbol  to  tlie  flight  of  the  Christian  Jews  to  the 
mountains  across  the  Jordan  for  safety  against  the  Roman  arms. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  it  has  any  special  reference  to  that  event. 
Its  historical  allusion  is  obviously  to  Israel  in  her  Arabian  wilder- 
ness, and  its  significance  here  is  simply  that  the  same  God  who  of 
old  helped  his  people  to  safety  and  to  a  thousand  other  blessings 
in  a  vast  wilderness  even  for  forty  years,  can  and  will  do  a  like 

thing  in  this  age  jof  hot  and  fearful  persecution. The  "wings 

as  of  a  great  eagle"  made  her  flight  from  a  crawling  serpent  com- 
paratively easy.  As  the  old  serpent  found  himself  distanced  so 
easily  and  so  utterly  by  a  winged  woman,  he  pours  out  a  flood  like 
a  river  that  (as  the  Oreek  has  it)  he  might  make  drifting  flood-wood 
of  the  woman.  J?ut  God  had  means  of  helping  the  woman  even  in 
this  emergency.  The  earth  kindly  opened  her  mouth  as  if  she  could 
drink  in  rivers  as  readily  as  Satan  could  open  his  mouth  and  pour 
them  forth.  Of  course  these  are  points  in  the  picture-scene  of  this 
vision,  and  not  literal,  historic  facts.  They  had  significance  no 
doubt — culminating  in  the  general  doctrine  that  God  never  lacks 
the  means  to  frustrate  the  devices  of  Satan — often,  nay,  usually, 
making  the  very  wrath  of  devils  and  of  men  to  prai.«e  himself  1 
think  it  would  be  quite  superfluous  for  us  to  ask  what  special  point 
in  Satan's  fight  or  strategy  is  denoted  by  the  flood  from  his  mouth, 
or  what  special  mode  of  deliverance  fur  his  church  is  foreshadowed 
by  the  earth  opening  her  mouth  to  drink  in  that  flood.  When  the 
text  gives  us  no  light  as  to  any  specific  application  of  a  symbol,  it 
is  quite  wise  for  us  to  rest  in  the  general  truth  taught  and  give  it 

as  wide  an  application  as  we  find  convenient. The  duration  here 

is  the  same  as  in  v.  0 — the  conception  coming  historically  from  the 
same  Daniel. 


CHAPTE  R    XI  I  1. 

This  chapter  introduces  two  new  personages  who  play  a  vitally 
important  part  in  the  scenes  described  throughout  chapters  13-1".). 
They  are  both  savage  wild  beasts; — the  first  comes  up  from  the 
Bea  (v.  1);  the  second  from  the  land  (v.  11);  both  sustain  special 
relations  to  the  great  red  dragon  already  introduced  in  chap.  12, 
for  they  are  his  servants,  subserving  his  jiurposes  aud  doing  his 
work. 


t52  REVELATIOX.— CHAP.  XIII. 

Here  our  first  main  qncstion  should  be — Who  are  these  beasts  f 

What   do   they  represent? Certainly  some  preat   persecuting 

powers,  for  tliey  make  war  with  the  saints  and  overcome  them 
(v.  7);  they  blaspheme  God,  his  tabernacle  and  his  people  (v.  6); 
they  receive  their  power  from  the  red  dragon  and  do  his  work 
(vs.  2,  4) ;  they  receive  the  homa.!i;e  of  all  whose  names  are  not  iu 
tlie  Lamb's  book  of  life  (v.  8);  and  in  all  these  points  the  second 
beast  is  only  a  sabordinate  ai;ent  of  the  first  (v.  12),  acting  upon 
the  public  mind  by  great  but  lying  miracles  and  by  manifold  de- 
ceptions to  bring  to  hhn  the  confidence  and  the  worship  of  the 

people. The  snme  view  is  sustained  by  the  obvious  allusion  to 

the  beasts  of  Daniel's  visions  (clraps.  7  tind  8)  which  represent 
worldly  powers  hostile  to  Christ.  These  are  similar  powers,  repro- 
duced under  like  symbols. For  the  more  precise  identification 

of  these  two  beasts  we  must  bear  in  mind  the  positive  limitations 
of  time  within  which  the  main  events  of  this  book  must  fall  as 
given  us  by  the  revealing  Spirit  repeatedly,  in  both  the  first  chap- 
ters of  the  book  and  the  last  And  then  finally  we  are  very  much 
indebted  to  chap.  17  in  which  the  revealing  angel  appears  for  the- 
definite  and  declared  purpose  of  explaining  to  the  prophet  and  to 
us  what  is  meant  by  the  woman  and  by  the  beast  that  carries  her 
having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  The  explanations  given  in  that 
chapter  are  God's  own  key  to  the  sense  of  this  chapter  and  of 

these  two  beasts. At  this  stage  of  the  discussion  1  need  only 

say  that,  guided  by  these  limitations  of  time,  by  these  points  of 
character,  and  by  these  special  explanations,  it  is  simply  im- 
possible to  make  any  thing  else  of  the  first  beast  save  the  lloman 
Empire — the  civil  power  of  the  Roman  Emperors  ;  while  the  second 
beast  (v.  11),  judging  from  the  description  given  of  him  here,  from 
his  influence  as  sketched  here,  and  also  from  the  further  descrip- 
tion of  him  which  appears  in  chap.  16  :  13,  14,  and  in  19:  20 — "  the 
false  prophet  that  wrought  miracles  before  him  "  [the  first  beast} 
"  with  which  he  deceived  them  that  had  the  mark  of  the  beast," 
etc.,  we  must  interpret  to  be  the  Pagan  Piiesthood — every-where 
ministering  to  the  idolatrous  homage  paid  to  the  lloman  Emperors; 
every-where  inspiring  the  animus  of  Paganism,  and  by  virtue  of 
their  character,  naturally  active  in  the  persecution  of  Christians. 
Beyond  all  question  this  second  beast  is  co-onlinate  and  co-opera- 
tive with  the  first  and  therefore  contemporctyieous,  doing  its  work 
at  the  same  time;  receiving  its   final  doom  in  the  same  fearful 

hour  of  judgment. Another  great  pe-i'sonage  is  yet  to  appear, 

first  called  "Babylon"  (14:  8,  and  16:  19),  and  then  taken  up 
for  a  more  particular  description  and  explanation  in  chap.  17. 
Her  real  name,  her  place  in  history,  and  her  relation  to  the  first 
beast  will  be  readily  seen  when  those  passages  come  under  con- 
sideration. 

In  this  chapter  the  beast  from  the  sea  is  described  (vs.  1,  2); 
hIso  the  special  fate  of  one  of  his  heads  (v.  3) ;  the  worship  given 
him  (v.  4)  ;  additional  points  of  his  character  and  history  (vs   .*>- 


EEVELATION— CITAP.  XIII.  153 

8)  ;  a  special  call  of  attention  to  him  (v.  9),  tvith  an  intimation  of 

God's  retribution  upon  such  wickedness   (v.  10). The  second 

beast  comes  to  view  and  is  described  (vs.  11-17),  and  the  chapter 
closes  with  an  intimation  that  special  wisdom  will  be  requ-isite  to 
identify  precisely  the  then  present  representative  of  this  formida- 
ble beast  (v.  18). 

1.  And  I  stood  upon  the  i=and  of  the  sea,  and  saw  a 
beast  rise  up  out  of  the  sea,  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon  his  heads 
(he  name  of  blasphemy. 

The  prophet's  standpoint  is  not  in  heaven  hut  on  earth,  the 
thin;:;s  to  be  shown  being  just  now,  earthly.  His  position  is  upon 
tlio  sand  of  the  sea,  i.  e.,  upon  the  shore,  that  he  may  have  a  view 

of  the  first  great  beast  coming  up  from  the  sea. Probably  we 

may  take  the  sea  to  represent  the  vast  populations  of  earth  con- 
sidered as  agitated  by  wars  and  revolutions,  surging  and  tossing 
in  dismal  disorder  and  perpetual  unrest — out  of  which  condition 
af  the  various  countries  and  kingdoms  of  the  civilized  world  there 

came  up  the  (/reut  Itoman  Empire. 1  hardly  need  say  that  this 

beast  is  a  savage  wild  beast  (Greek,  therion),  not  having  the  re- 
motest analogy  to  the  four  "  beasts  "  [living  ones]  of  chap.  4  :  6-9. 

The  seven  heads  are  shown  (chap.  17:  9,  10)  to  represent  the 

seven  hills  on  which  the  great  harlot,  borne  on  the  beast,  sitteth 
— but  more  prominently  the  seven  successive  emperors  who  were 
ill   their  order  and   for   the    time   being,  the   brain-power  of  the 

emjiire,   representing   her;    doing   her  work. Of  the   horns  I 

sliall  have  occasion  to  speak  more  definitely  when  we  reach  the 

explanation  in  chap.  17:  12-17. In  the  last  clause  the  better 

reading  gives  us  the  plural,  "names  of  blasphemy,"  apparently 
not  less  than  one  on  each  head. 

2.  And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was  like  unto  a  leopard, 
and  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his  moutli  as 
the  mouth  of  a  lion  :  and  the  dragon  gave  him  his  power, 
and  his  seat,  and  great  authorit}'. 

This  beast  though  from  the  sea  is  not  a  sea  but  a  land  monster, 
grouping  its  prominent  organs  from  the  most  active,  formidable 
and  terrible  wild  beasts  known  to  man.  To  crown  all,  the  dragon 
has  put  him  in  power  to  do  his  own  persecuting  work  against  the 
people  and  the  name  of  God.  ~  lie  is  Satan's  prime  minister  and 
general  agent. 

8.  And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  Avere  wounded  to 
deatli  ;  and  his  deadly  wound  was  healed:  and  all  the 
world  wondered  after  the  beast. 

The  specially  noticeable  thing  here  is  that  one  of  the  heads 
received  a  fatal  wound,  and  yet  the  beast  did  not  die  but  rallied 


i54  EEVELATIO^\— CHAP.  XIII. 

and  still  lived.  Normally  the  head  holds  such  relations  to  th« 
entire  animal*  that  a  deadly  wound  upon  it  is  fatal  to  life.  Here 
the  head  dies  but  the  animal  lives  because  other  heads  in  their 
succession  perform  for  their  time  the  brain  functions  of  the  beast. 
This  comes  of  having  more  heads  than  one.  The  explanation 
given  us  (17:  10)  proves  that  these  heads  perform  their  respective 
functions,  not  simultaneously  but  successively,  for  there  "  five  are 
fallen,  one  is,  and  the  seventh  is  yet  to  come." 

This  dynasty  of  lloman  Emperors  was  founded  by  Julius  Cagsar. 
It  was  the  uprising  of  the  old  elements  of  liberty  that  cost  him  his 
life.  At  that  moment  the  death  of  the  empire  which  he  founded 
seemed  probable,  not  to  say  inevitable ;  but  to  the  wonder  of  man- 
kind the  beast  rallied  under  Augustus  and  lived  on.  "His  deadly 
wound  was  healed  and  all  the  world  wondered  after  the  beast." 

4.  And  they  worsliiped  the  dragon  which  gave  power 
unto  the  beast :  and  they  worshiped  the  beast,  saying, 
"\\nio  is  like  unto  the  beast '?  who  is  able  to  make  war  with 
him  ? 

"And  they"  ("the  world" — the  masses  of  the  people)  wor- 
shiped the  dragon  because  [the  better  reading  in  place  of  "which"] 
he  gave  power  unto  the  beast,  and  they  worshiped  the  beast,"  etc. 
This  is  devil-worship  and  king-worship.  Devil-worship  has  been 
often  practiced  among  the  heathen  in  the  most  formal  and  definite 
manner  possible ;  yet  I  am  not  aware  that  such  was  the  case  in 
the  Rome  of  the  Csesars.  But  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
Avorshiping  the  emperor  was  virtually  worshiping  the  devil,  and 
that  he  cares  little  for  the  form  provided  he  has  the  reality,  well 
enough  satisfied  if  he  can  draw  men's  hearts  away  from  God  and 
di-aw  them  into  any  form  of  idol-worship. All  the  early  em- 
perors demanded  and  received  religious  worship  as  gods  of  the 
nation.  This  horrible  fact  is  amply  attested  in  history.  Gibbon 
manifestly  disliked  to  admit  and  record  the  fact,  but  could  not 
excuse  himself  "The  deification  of  the  emperor  is  the  only  in- 
stance in  which  they  departed  from  their  accustomed  prudence 
and  modesty."  "  The  imperious  spirit  of  the  first  Ca3sar  too  easily 
consented  to  assume  during  his  lifetime  a  place  among  the  tutelar 

deities  of  Home."      [Decline  and  Fall,  chap.  3  ] Of  Caligula, 

Taylor  says,  "Finding  no  one  dare  to  oppose  his  sanguinary 
caprice,  he  began  to  regard  himself  as  something  more  than  a 
mere  mortal,  and  to  claim  divine  honors ;  and  finally  he  erected 
a  temple  to  himself  and  instituted  a  college  of  priests  to  super- 
intend his  own  Avorship"  [vol:  1,  p.  2G1J. Unhmitcd  and  un- 
restrained power  filled  them  with  pride  and  culminated  in  tliis 
n-ssumption  of  the  honors  of  real  divinity. 

5.  And  there  was  given  unto  him  a  mouth  speaking 
great  things  and  l)lasj)hemies ;  and  power  was  given  unto 
him  to  continue  ibrlv  and  two  months. 


ilEVELATlON.— CHAP.  XIII.  155 

G.  And  he  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God, 
to  blaspheme  his  name,  and  his  tabernacle,  and  them  that 
dwell  in  heaven, 

Ko  blasphemy  can  surpass  that  of  arrogating  the  homage  and 
worship  due  to  God  alone.  This  Avas  practieally  blaspheming 
Ciod,  his  name,  his  tabernacle,  and  his  worshipers.  To  receive 
such  worship  from  men  is  most  emphatically  to  decry  and  traduce 
both  God  and  all  his  true  worshipers  in  heaven.  The  offering 
of  such  worship  to  men  is  practically  and  outrageously  denying 

supreme  homage  to  God  only. In  the  last  clause  of  verse  5  the 

Sinaitic  manuscript,   instead  of  "continue,"  etc.,   reads,  "And'  it 

was  given  unto  him  to  do;"  i.  e.,  what  he  pleased. Forty-two 

months,  here  (as  throughout  this  book)  by  historical  allusion  to 
Daniel  indicates  an  indefinite  period  of  calamity,  such  as  is  sug- 
gested by  the  case  of  the  persecuted  Jews  in  the  age  of  the  Macca- 
bees. This  may  perhaps  intimate  that  the  persecution  under 
N'ero  continued  about  three  and  a  half  years ;  but  it  seems  to  me 
moi-e  satisfactory  to  suppose  that. this  time  is  named  under  the 
influence  of  the  case  in  Daniel  to  indicate  that  this  season  of  per- 
secution was  like  that.  ^  It  may  have  been  somewhat  more  or  less 
than  three  and  a  half  years. 

7.  And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  tlie 
vSaints,  and  to  overcome  them  :  and  power  was  given  him 
over  all  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations. 

8.  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  worship  him, 
whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of  lite  of  the  Lamb 
slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

The  sway  of  these  Roman  Emperors  reached  all  kindreds  and 
tongues.  For  a  season  God  gave  them  a  fearful  power  of  perse- 
cution against  his  people.  All  were  drawn  into  this  man-worship 
save  those  whose  names  were  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world.  Those  whom  the  Father  had  thus  given 
to  him  (John  10:  29)  no  force  of  persecution,  no  edicts  of  savagely 
cruel  Koman  Emperors,  could  avail  to  seduce  and  destroy.  This 
was  said  to  the  brethren  of  the  seven  churches  to  show  them 
where  their  strength  lay,  in  whose  hand  they  had  been  put  for 
safe-keeping,  and  on  whom  therefore  they  might  rely  in  the  stern- 
est emergencies. 

9.  If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let  him  hear. 

10.  He  that  leadeth  into  captivity  shall  go  into  captivity : 
he  that  killeth  with  the  sword  must  be  killed  with  the 
sword.     Here  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints. 

But  let  every  willing  ear  be  open  to  hear  this:  God  iviH  requite 
a  terrible  retribution  upon  all  persecutors  in  due  time.  Whoever 
shall  drag  others  into  captivity  [or  exile]   must  in  due  time  go 


156  KEVELATION.— CHAP.  XIIT. 

himself;  whoever  kills  God'a  innocent  children  with  the  sword 
must  surely  himself  perish  by  the  sword.  The  arrangements  of 
(iod's  providence  may  put  the  patience  and  faith  of  the  saints  to 
a  stern  trial,  even  for  a  period  that  may  seem  long  ;  but  let  thcra 
know  that  God  rules  and  at  no  distant  day  will  execute  justjce 
upon  the  wicked ! 

11.  And  I  beheld  another  beast  coming  up  out  of  the 
rarth ;  and  he  had  twc  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  he  spake  as 
a  dragon. 

12.  And  he  exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast 
before  him,  and  causeth  the  earth  and  them  which  dwell 
therein  to  worship  the  first  beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was 
healed. 

13.  And  he  doeth  great  w'onders,  so  that  he  maketh  fire 
come  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men, 

14.  And  deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  the 
vieam  of  those  miracles  which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the 
sight  of  the  beast;  saying  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth, 
that  they  should  make  an  image  to  the  l>east,  which  had  the 
wound  by  a  sword,  and  did  live. 

This  beast  is  distinguished  from  the  first  (v.  1)  by  coming  up 
from  the  earth  (not  necessarily  out  of  the  bowels  of  the  earth)  ; 
liy  having  two  horns  (not  ten)  and  those  not  as  of  a  savage  wild 
beast  but  "of  a  lamb."  Truly  he  had  "  stolen  the  livery  of  heaven 
to  serve  the  devil  in."  How  innocent  and  harmless  in  appear- 
ance; yet  "he  spake  as  a  dragon."  All  the  cunning  and  wicked- 
ness of  Satan  were  in  his  words.    Only  the  more  dangerous  was  he 

for  his  lamb-like  aspect. "  Exercising  all  the  power  of  the  firs-t 

beast"  seems  to  mean  that  he  works  toward  the  same  result — 
promoting  idolatry,  king-worship,  blasphemy  against  the  true  God, 
and  the  persecution  unto  death  of  his  people.  Especially  he 
claims  to  have  miraculous  power,  pretending  to  call  dovrn  fire 
from  heaven  (like  Elijah,  1  Kings  18  :  38),  and  so  he  deceives  the 
vast  populations  of  the  Roman  Empire  and  dravi's  them  into  such 
worshij)  of  the  emperor  as  belongs  to  God  only.  It  can  not  well 
be  doubted  that  in  this  description  the  prophet  drew  from  the 
practices  of  the  false  prophets  {e.  g.,  in  the  days  of  Jeremiah) 
whose  influence  was  unutterably  pernicious  in  depraving  and  de- 
basing the  people  and  paralyzing  every  effort  of  the  true  prophets 
to  turn  them  back  to  God.  Equally  pernicious  was  the  influence 
of  this  second  beast — the  Pagan  priesthood.  They  were  precisely 
the  ministers  of 'heathen  idolatry  and  of  king-worship,  devoting 
their  immense  influence  to  sustain  Pagan  ideas,  Pagan  worship 
and  all  Pagan  abominations. 

On  the  question  whether  this  second  beast  can  be  Papal  Rome, 
it  should  surely  suffice  to  say  that  every  feature  of  the  description 


EEVELATION.-CHAP.  XIIL  167 

Kints  us  to  the  Pagan  priesthood;  that  this  beast  worked  for  the 
igan  Empei'or  as  Papal  Rome  certainly  did  not  in  the  age  of 
her  first  seven  emperors,  six  hundred  years  before  Papal  Kome 
became  a  well-defined  system,  and  one  thousand  years  before  she 
became  thoroughly  a  great  persecuting  power.  Hence  it  is  en- 
tirely inadmissible  to  find  Papal  l\ome  in  this  second  beast.  As 
surely  as  this  prophecy  makes  the  first  beast  and  the  second  con- 
temporaneous and  co-working,  and  as  surely  as  history  locates  the 
persecuting  activities  of  the  seven  heads  of  Pagan  Eome  on  the 
one  hand  and  of  Papal  Home  on  the  other  one  thousand  j^ears 
asunder,  so  surely  do  the  stubborn  facts  of  history  rule  out  as 
absurd  and  impossible  the  theory  that  this  second  beast  is  Papal 
Rome. 

15.  And  he  had  power  to  j,nve  life  unto  the  image  of 
tlie  bca.st,  that  the  image  of  the  beast  should  botli  speak, 
uud  cause  that  as  many  as  would  not  worship  the  image  of 
the  beast  should  be  killed. 

This  power  to  put  vitality,  i.  e.,  life,  force,  into  the  first  beast  1 
take  to  mean  only  and  precisely  that  his  influence  was  effective, 
great,  indispensable,  in  sustaining  the  sj'stera  of  Paganism,  and 
in  infusing  the  animus,  or  better,  the  virus  of  the  persecuting 
spirit  against  Ood's  people. 

16.  And  he  causcth  all,  both  small  and  great,  rich  and 
poor,  free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand, 
or  in  their  foreheads : 

17.  And  that  no  man  might  buy  or  sell,  save  he  that 
liad  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the  number  of 
his  name. 

As  all  God's  people  received  his  mark,  so  all  the  devil's  follow- 
ers must  needs  bear  his.  The  ban  of  j)ublic  sentiment  fell  on 
all  who  would- not  receive  and  wear  this  mark.  They  were  ostra- 
cized from  society,  driven  from  the  market-place,  denied  the  right 
to  any  of  the  most  common  privileges  of  Poman  citizens.  Not 
only  was  the  brand  of  opprobrium  put  on  them,  but  the  mark  of 
ISatan's  vengeance. 

.  18.  Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him  that  hath  understanding 
count  the  number  of  the  beast :  for  it  is  the  number  of  a 
man ;  and  his  number  is  Six  hundred  threescore  and  six. 

The  emperor  then  on  the  throne  was  for  the  time  the  representa- 
tive of  the  beast.  Obviously  he  is  now  before  the  mind,  and  more- 
over ia  thought  of  as  a  persecutor  to  whom  all  must  yield  divine 

honors,  or  suffer  under  his  persecuting  wrath. The  "number 

of  the  beast,"  defined  to  be  the  "  number  of  a  man,"  is  generally 
(and  in  my  view  correctly)  thought  to  refer  to  the  numerical  power 


158  REVELATION— CHAP.  XIIL 

of  tlic  letters  -wliich  compose  his  proper  name.  The  ITebrevra  and 
tiic  (irccks  used  eacli  tlieir  own  alphabet  for  numerical  purposes. 
In  Hebrew  the  Hrst  letter  is  one ;  the  second,  two,  etc. ;  the  tenth, 
ton;  but  the  eleventh  is  twenty;  the  nineteenth  is  one  hundred; 
the  twentieth,  two  hundred,  etc.  Hence  each  letter  hud  a  numer- 
ical power.     In  our  passage  the  numerical  power  of  the  name  is 

{iiven  to  find  the  name  itself. A  preliminary  question  will  be, 

whether  this  name  is  to  be  spelled  in  Hebrew  letters  with  their  nu- 
merical power,  or  in  Greek  letters.  It  being  manifestly  the  inten- 
tion of  the  writer  to  put  his  readers  in  a  way  to  spell  out  the  name, 
nnd  3^et  not  give  it  so  plainly  as  to  expose  himself  or  his  brethren 
to  persecuting  vengeance ;  and  inasmuch  as  his  readers  (some  of 
them  being  Jews)  would  have  the  advantage  of  the  Roman  magis- 
trates in  deciphering  Hebrew  letters,  it  becomes  antecedently  prob- 
able that  he  would  use  them. Supposing  this  name  to  have  been 

written  in  Hebrew  characters  with  their  known  numerical  power, 
and  taking  the  name  of  Nero  as  it  appears  often  in  the  Talmud  and 
in  other  Rabbinical  writings;  *  we  shall  have  as  the  numerical 
equivalent  of  these  Hebrew  letters  in  their  order,  50 +  200 -(-6 
-\-  50;  and  100 -j-  60+  200  =  666.  This  result  must  seem  quite 
satisfactory,  even  though  it  rested  on  the  mere  fact  that  these  seven 
Hebrew  letters  by  the  sum'  of  their  numerical  powers  give  us  pre- 
cisely the  well-known  Heljrew  name  of  Nei'o.  Rut  the  proof  that 
sustains  the  correctness  of  this  solution  is  greatly  strengthened  by 
another  remarkable  fact.  Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  received 
Greek. text  gives  these  three  Greek  letters  [.I'f  ~] — pronounced  <:/<?, 
xi,  vau ;  and  having  in  their  order  these  numerical  powers,  600 
+  00  -f-  6  =  666.  Now  the  fact  is  brought  out  and  fully  discussed 
by  Ireneus,  that  in  his  day  (A.  D.  180)  some  manuscripts  had  a 
different  reading  for  the  middle  character,  viz.,  not  f  (xi),  but  t 

(iota).     He   insists  however  that  the  true  reading  is  xi  (^'). 

Can  the  other  reading  be  accounted  for?  It  can,  most  readily. 
There  was  a  second  mode  of  spelling  the  name  Nero  in  Hebrew, 
viz.,  by  writing  it,  not  Neron,  but  Nero,  t.  e.,  omitting  the  final  (n). 
The  numerical  power  of  n  is  fifty.  Striking  off  this  final  letter 
reduces  the  sum  total  of  the  "  number  of  his  name  "  from  666  to 
616;  and  to  write  this  amount  in  three  Greek  letters  we  must 
change  the  middle  one  as  they  stand  in  our  text  from  (xi)  to 
(iota),  i.  6.,  from  the  letter  which  means  60  to  the  letter  which 
means  10.  Precisely  this  is  the  change  which  appears  in  the  dif- 
ferent reading  of  which  Ireneus  speaks.  Hence  it  becomes  sub- 
stantially certain  that  the  "number  of  the  beast"  was  understood 
by  some  at  least  before  the  age  of  Ireneus;  certain  also  that  they 
read  in  this  number  the  name  of  Nero  Ciesar ;  certain  also  that 
there  being  a  second  way  of  writing  his  name  (i.  e.,  Nero  ratlier 
than  Neron),  the  change  was  made  in  the  text  which  this  otiier 
spelling  of  the  nanxe  would  require.     This  double  coincidence  is 


KEVELATION.-CIIAP.  XTV.  159 

of  the  sort  which  could  not  occur  by  chance  and  Avithout  a  f<inn- 
dation  in  trutli,  one  time  in  ten  thousand.  It  amounts  thcrcloro 
practically  to  demonstration. 

Let  it  also  be  definitely  noted  that  this  passage  now  becomes 
one  of  the  irrefragable  proofs  that  Nero  ivas  the  reigning  emperor 
when  this  book  was  written;  and  also  that  the  succession  of  Konian 
emperors,  of  which  he  was  the  sixth  (17:  10)  constitute  the  seven 
heads  of  the  beast  first  shown  coming  up  from  the  sea  (13:  1), 
which  beast  therefore  represents  the  regal  power  of  Pagan  Kome. 

1  have  treated  this  subject  with  the  utmost  brevity,  omitting 

all  allusion  to  scores  of  other  opinions,  none  of  which,  as  compared 
with  the  view  given  above,  has  any  claim  upon  our  particular  at- 
tention. Stuart's  Apocalypse,  vol.  2,  pp.  452-459,  presents  other 
views  at  len'rth. 


o>«<o 


C  II  A  P  T  E  R   X  1  V. 

Comprehensively  there  are  three  main  subjects  in  this  chapter: 
the  joy  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven;  the  judgments- of  God  upon 
the  wicked  in  this  world,  and  their  eternal  misery  in  the  world  to 
come.  More  particularly,  we  have  a  second  vision  of  the  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-four  thousand  redeemed  from  earth  and  their  char- 
acter (vs.  1-5);  the  first  angel  and  his  proclamation  (vs.  6,  7); 
the  proclamation  of  tlie  second  angel  (v.  8);  of  the  third  (vs.  9-11); 
(lie  time  of  suHeriiig  for  the  saints  (v.  12),  but  their  blessedness 
in  the  near  life  to  come  (v.  13);  the  reaping  of  tlie  earth  by  one 
like  a  Son  of  man  (vs.  14-1  f));  and  the  gathering  of  its  vintage 
(vs.  17-20). 

1.  And  I  looked,  and,  lo,  a  Lamb  stood  on  the  mount 
Sion,  and  with  him  a  hundred  forty  and  four  thou.sand, 
having  his  Father's  name  written  in  their  foreheads. 

The  improved  reading  of  this  verse  gives  us,  not  "a  Lamb,"  but 
the.hamh,  which  means  the  same  previously  seen  and  spoken  of 
(chap.  5:  6,  S,  12,  13,  and  0:  1,  10,  and  7:"9,  10,  14,  17,  and  12; 
I  I,  and  13  :  8).  Al.so,  in  the  last  clause,  not  merely  "his  Father's 
name,"  but  "  having  his  name  and  the  name  of  his  Father"  written 
ill  their  foreheads.  "The  mount  Zion,"  which  is  here  seen  in  vis- 
inn  as  located  in  heaven,  transfers  the  sacred  mount  of  the  holy 

cily  below  to  the  heavenly  city  al)ove. There  seems  no  reason 

to  doubt  that  tlie  numbers  given  here  (the  "one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  thousand")  refer  to  chap.  7;  and  yet  I  see  no  occasion,  here 
as  tlierc,  to  limit  this  thnmg  to  the  saved  from  tiie  ancient  Jewish 
ualiou.     They  seem  rather  to  re[ircseut  all  the  redeemed,  at  least 


160  REVELATION.— CHAT.  XIV. 

all  those  who  have  "come  up  out  of  fjreut  trilmlation."  They  bear 
on  their  foi'eheads  the  name  of  their  chosen  Muster,  the  God  and 
the  Savior  whom  they  love  and  adore. 

2.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the  voice  of 
many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder :  and  I 
heard  the  voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps  : 

3.  And  they  sung  as  it  were  a  new  song  before  the 
thi'one,  and  before  the  four  beasts,  and  the  elders:  and  no 
man  could  learn  that  song  but  the  hundred  and  forty  and 
four  thousand,  Avhich  were  redeemed  from  the  earth. 

4.  These  are  they  wliieh  were  not  defiled  with  women  ; 
for  they  are  virgins.  These  are  they  which  follow  the  Lamb 
whithersoever  he  goeth.  These  were  redeemed  from  anion"; 
men,  being  the  first  fruits  unto  God  and  to  the  Lamb. 

5.  And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no  guile :  for  they  are 
without  fault  before  the  throne  of  God. 

In  the  last  clause  of  v.  2  the  improved  reading,  instead  of  "And 
I  heard  the  voice  of  harpers,"  gives  us — "  And  the  voice  which  I 
heard  was  as  that  of  harpers ;  "  i.  e.,  he  speaks  of  the  same  voice 
from  heaven  before  spoken  of  and  goes  on  to  describe   it  more 

fully.     It  was  a  sound  of  heavenly  song. Also  in  v.  5  the  iSi- 

naitic  and  other  manuscripts  concur  in  glving/a&tVioor/  [pseudos] 
instead  of  ^' guile"  [dolos] ;  while  the  tSinaitic  and  Alexandrine 
omit  "before  the  throne  of  God."  All  the  recent  editors  concur 
in  this  omission. The  special  points  made  here  are  full  of  in- 
terest and  of  moral  value  ;  the  grand  magnificent  chorus  like  the 
roar  of  ocean  and  "  the  voice  of  great  thunder;  "  j^et  with  music 
of  heavenly  sweetness  as  of  harpers  playing  with  their  harps  :  also 
that  it  is  a  "new  song,"  unlike  the  song  familiar  to  heavenly  ears 
in  the  ages  before — new  because  it  celebrates  new  scenes  uf  vic- 
tory through  grace,  new  triumphs  over  iSatan  and  sin — a  song 
which  none  can  learn  but  the  souls  redeemed  from  earth.  This 
does  not  mean  that  the  sinless  angels  will  not  love  to  hear  this 
song  and  will  not  praise  God  for  such  grace  to  their  once  fallen 
but  now  recovered  brethren  ;  but  does  mean  that  their  experiences 
have  no  such  witness  to  bear  to  the  praise  of  grace  that  redeems 

souls  from  sin  and  death. In  v.  4  the  word  for  virgins  is   in 

the  masculine  gender,  showing  at  least  that  it  does  not  apply  to 
woman  to  the  exclusion  of  man.  It  seems  to  me  probable  that 
lewdness  is  used  here  to  represent  idolatry  of  heart — the  giving 
of  the  heart  to  some  idol  ratlier  than  to  (jod  alone — according  to 
the  current  usage  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets.  If  it  be  taken 
in  its  literal  sense  it  must  still  be  considered  as  applying  without 
distinction  of  sex,  and  also  as  a  representative  sin,  really  including 

all   sin. Characteristically  they  follow  the  Lamb  wherever  he 

sjoeth,  through  scorn,  shame,  toil,  suliering,  death — with  one  only 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XIV.  161 

law  of  life — implicit  obedience  to  their  glorious  Leader;  the  set- 
tled, chanfjeless  purpose  to  follow  his  steps,  lead  wherever  they 

may. 'i'hese  were  redeemed  from  among  men,  from  this  fallen 

race,  and  not  gathered  into  heaven  from  some  sinless  realm — some 
order  of  beings  among  wlumi  sin  and  woe  were  never  known. 
They  are  a  first  fruit  unto  (Jod  and  the  Lamb,  as  a  closer  transla- 
tion of  the  original  would  recpiire. The  preferable  reading  in 

V.  5 — lie  instead  of  "guile" — prultably  looks  to  the  staunch  and 
unflinching  testimony  they  had  borne  for  God  in  the  face  of  per- 
secution. Some  who  had  previously  professed  Christ  quailed  bo- 
fore  the  terrible  ordeal  Of  torture  and  death,  and  prevaricated  or 

denied  ;  but  these  Avere  true  and  could  not  deny  Christ. 'i'he 

reader  will  not  fail  to  note  the  moral  bearing  of  all  these  points 
upon  the  hearts  of  Christians  under  the  fierce  temptations  inci- 
dent to  an  era  of  fiery  persecution.  It  ought  to  bear  with  precious 
mural  power  upon  all  our  hearts  to-day,  girding  us  to  every  work 
and  to  all  patient  endurance  and  self-denial;  but  it  was  specially 
adapted  to  those  days  which  so  fearfully  tried  men's  souls. 

6.  And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  tlie  midst  of  lieaven, 
liaving  the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that 
dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people, 

7.  Saying  with  a  loud  voice.  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to 
liim  ;  for  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come:  and  worship 
him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the 
fountains  of  waters. 

As  this  angel  is  the  first  of  a  series  of  three,  and  designated 
therefore  with  no  reference  to  any  one  before  him,  he  of  v.  8  being 
"another"  {i.  e.,  a  second)  and  he  of  v.  9  being  definitely  named 
"  the  third,"  there  seems  much  pertinence  in  the  reading  of  the 
Sinaitic  manuscript  which  has,  not  "another  angel,"  but  simply 

iin  angel. Not  "fly"  \mt Jlying  is  the  precise  translation  of  the 

text.  Also  "  an  everlasting  gospel,"  not  the — there  being  no  article 
and  therefore,  so  far  as  appears  from  the  test,  no  allusion  to  the 
old  and  well  known  gospel,  the  "glad  tidings  of  great  joy  to  all 
people."  Yet  the  main  question  on  this  passage  is  not  settled 
positively  by  this  circumstance  of  the  omission  of  the  article. 
This  main  question  is  whether  this  gospel  is  the  general  one — the 
news  of  salvation — or  a  special  one — the  tidings  that  great  Baby- 
lon  is  fallen.     Inasmuch  as  gospel  means  glad  tidings,  the  word 

admits  either  sense. In  favor  of  the  former  construction  here — 

the  good  news  of  salvation — it  may  be  said  (1)  That  this  is  the 
usual  sense  of  the  word  in  the  New  Testament ;  (2)  It  helps  us 
to  give  a  natural  and  appropriate  sense  to  the  word  "  everlasting" 
^— the  glorious  old  gospel  wliich  has  been  the  joy  of  saints  since 
tlic  first  promise  in  Eden,  and  is  to  be  their  joy  till  the  last  re- 
deemed soul  is  gathered  home,  and  indeed  onward  thence  through 


162  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XIV. 

everlavsting  agos ;  (3)  The  announcement  of  the  fall  of  Babylon  is 
in  place  (on  this  construction  of  the  word  "gospel")  for  its  bear- 
ing upon  the  great  and  vital  question  ■uihethcr  the  gospel  of  Christ 
should  he  preached  to  all  the  world — Babylon  having  set  herself 
with  utmost  strength  to  oppose;  God  with  his  high  arm  of  judg- 
ment upon  her  to  break  her  down  and  give  free  scope  to  the  out- 
going gospel.  She  stands  to  frustrate  this  enterprise :  her  fall 
assures  its  success.     These  points  apply  to  sustain  the  first  named 

construction. On  the  other  hand,  in  favor  of  the  construction 

which  explains  "gospel"  here  as  the  glad  tidings  of  Babylon  s 
fall  may  be  urged,  (1.)  The  absence  of  the  article,  i.  e.,  the  fact 
that  the  writer  does  not  say,  "having  the  everlasting  gospel" — 
the  old  well  known  news  of  salvation  ;  but  simply  everlasting  gos- 
pel— everlasting  good  news  that  will  bear  glory  to  God  and  good 

to  man  through  all  the  future  ages. (2.)  It  must  be  admitted 

that  V.  7  gives  us  the  very  Avords  which  the  first  angel  proclaimed, 
and  there  is  at  least  a  strong  ^presumption  that  this  is  precisely 
(he  good  news  which  is  spoken  of  in  v.  6.  That  is,  the  wn-iter  first 
gives  in  general  terms  a  view  of  this  angel's  commission,  his  mes- 
sage ;  and  then  pi-oceeds  to  give  us  his  very  words.  Hence  the 
context  bears  with  great  force  in  favor  of  this  second  construction. 

(3.)  It  adds  much  to  the  force  of  this  consideration  that  it  is 

altogether  in  harmony  with  the  genius  of  this  book  to  have  one  or 
more  angels  sent  forward  to  foreshow  the  outburst  of  any  great 
judgment.  In  harmony  with  this  usage,  here  is  a  first  angel 
whose  mission  is  to  herald -the  fall  of  Babylon.  That  is,  he  does 
not  come  to  preach  the  proper  New  Testament  gospel,  the  general 
news  of  salvation ;  but  the  particular  and  special  news  that  Great 
Babylon  is  about  to  fall.  The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  the 
seven  seals  and  the  seven  trumpets  were  mostly  foretokens  of  the 
ftill  of  Jerusalem — foreshowings  of  some  of  the  premonitory  indi- 
cations and  progressive  advances  toward  that  final  and  grand  re- 
sult.    So  of  the  seven  vials  of  chapter  16. (4.)  There  is  some 

ol)jection  to  the  first  named  theory,  and  of  course  some  support  to 
the  second,  in  the  question — In  what  sense  can  an  angel  be  said 
to  have  the  everlasting  gospel  of  salvation  through  Christ  to  preach 
to  all  the  earth  ?  Esj^ecially,  how  can  he  preach  it  by  fljnng 
through  mid  heaven  ?  It  has  pleased  God  to  send,  not  angels, 
but  men,  to  preach  this  gospel  in  all  the  world  to  every  creature. 
"What  can  it  mean  that  this  should  be  done  in  vision  by  an  angel  ? 

This  objection  is  still  heightened  when  we  consider  that  this 

is  one  angel  out  of  three,  his  work  being  manifestly  in  close  rela- 
tion to  theirs ;  while  theirs  is  certainly  iiot  in  any  direct  sense, 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  of  salvation,  but  the  second  one  an- 
nounces the  fall  of  Babylon,  and  the  third,  the  awful  woe  upon 

all   who   belong    to    this    great  Babjdon. 1   incline    therefore 

strongly  to  this  latter  construction — the  good  news  that  Babylor\ 

is  about  to  fail. Of  course   this  news  is  good  and  should  call 

forth  Jiscriptions  of  glory  to  God  because  Babylon  appears  here  aa 


REVELATION— CHAP.  XIV.  lt)3 

violently  and  mijrhtily  withstanding  the  progress  of  the  gospel. 
Tliereforc  God's  hurling  her  down  insures  victory  to  Zion — suc- 
cess over  the  whole  earth  to  the  mission  of  the  gospel  and  the 
salvation  of  the  lost.  Therefore  "  fear  God  and  give  him  glory ; 
for  the  hour  of  his  judgment  has  come:"  his  justice  can  not 
sleep  forever;  and  it  awakes  even  now  to  its  work  and  the  cause 
of  (»od  must  triumph.  'J'herefore  worship  him  Avho  shows  him- 
self the  Maker  and  Lord  of  all — who,  having  all  the  elements  of 
nature  in  his  hand,  can  wield  them  all,  if  need  he,  for  the  de- 
struction of  his  foes. 

8.  And  there  followed  another  angel,  saying,  Babylon  i.s 
fallen,  i.s  fallen,  that  great  city,  because  she  made  all 
nations  drink  of  the  wiiie  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication. 

The  approved  reading  here  omits  the  word  "city,"  thus:  "Fallen, 
fallen,  is  Baltylon  the  great."  The  name  Babylon  appears  here 
lirst,  hut  doubtless  in  the  same  sense  as  in  IG:  19,  and  17:  5,  and 
18;  2,  10,  etc.  That  is,  this  is  "the  woman"  of  17:  18;  "the 
great  harlot"  of  17  :  1 — explained  most  specificially  to  be  the  great 
city  Kome.  The  Hebrew  writers  use  the  symbol  of  a  womtin  to 
represent  a  city.  "Jerusalem  is  the  mother  of  us  all"  (Gal.  4: 
26) ;  Zion  sits  as  a  desolate  mother  in  the  scenes  painted  by  Jer- 
emiah in  his  Lamentations  (1:1,  2).  Rome  was  a  second  Babylon 
in  the  threefold  sense  (1.)  of  being  a  great  persecutor  and  op- 
pressor of  God's  people;  (2.)  of  being  thoroughly  idolatrous,  de- 
voted intensely  to  idol-worship;  (3.)  of  being  doomed  like  old 
Babylon  to  a  terrible  fall.  Here  the  fall  of  Babylon  is  explicitly 
attributed  to  her  influence  in  intoxicating  and  maddening  the 
nations  with  the  hot  wine  of  her  spiritual  fornication — i.  c,  her 
poisoning  them  all  with  her  idolatry.  "  The  wine  of  the  wrath," 
etc.,  is  tlie  hot  wine,  the  heating,  intoxicating  winewhich  inflamed 
their  passions  toward  this  harlotry  of  idol-worship. 

9.  And  the  third  angel  followed  them,  saying  with  a  loud 
voice,  If  any  nuin  worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  and 
receive  his  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand, 

10.  The  same  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of 
God,  Avhich  is  poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  cup 
of  his  indignation;  and  he  shall  be  tormented  with  fire 
and  brimstone  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in 
the  presence  of  the  Lamb  : 

11.  And  the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendcth  up  for 
ever  and  ever:  and  they  have  no  rest  day  nor  night,  wlio 
worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  aud  Avhosoever  recciveth 
the  mark  of  his  name. 

These  verses  paint  with  fearful  imagery  the  torments  of  all  the 
worshipers  of  this  "beast" — the  same  spoken  of  chap.  13,  viz., 
the    Roman  imperial  power,  thought  of  here  as   enforcing  idol- 


164         .  EEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  XIV. 

worship,  and  in  fact  the  worsliip  of  itself  as  well  as  of  the  countless 

gods  of  ancient  Home. The  language,  "drink  the  wine  of  the 

wrath  of  (jlod,"  manifest!}^  follows  tlie  terms  whicli  in  v.  8  doscrihe 
tiie  sin  to  be  punished.  Jionic  had  led  all  the  nations  to  "  drink 
of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication."  Ketri])ution  cornea 
upon   them  in   the   form  of  "  drinking  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of 

(!od."     The  former  expression  gives  siiape  to  the  latter. This 

drinking  from  the  cup  of  God's  indignation  has  its  antecedent  type 
and  therefore  its  explanation  in  the  usage  of  the  Old  Testament 
prophets  which  may  he  seen  expanded  in  Jer.  25:  15-29.  The 
idea  there  is  that  God  leaves  such  guilty  nations  to  a  mad  infat- 
uation which  brings  on  tlieir  utter  ruin.  They  eat  the  fruit  of 
tiieir  own  crimes.  It  is  of  course  implied  that  beyond  the  natural 
results  of  sin,  the  hand  of  God  is  against  them  in  righteous  retri- 
bution. Yet  this  retril)ution,  in  the  case  of  judgments  on  nations 
in  this  world,  often,  perhaps  usually,  comes  in  the  way  of  the 
natural  results  of  outrageous  sinning.  The  phraseology  here 
points  strongly  to  some  direct  infliction  of  suffering  in  righteous 

punishment  for  sin. -The  translation,  "poured  out,"  can  scarcely 

be  justified  from  the  original  text  which  means  precisely — which 

is  mixed  undiluted  in  the  cup  of  his  indignation. It  should  be 

noticed  that  these  sufferings  are  declared  to  be  "in  the  presence 
of  the  holy  angels  and  of  the  Lamb  " — the  smoke  of  their  torment 
forever  rising  within  the  view  of  the  holy — a  fact  which  had  been 
already  foreshadowed  in  the  closing  verses  of  Isaiah's  prophecy 
((56:  23.  24).  Such  a  manifestation  of  God's  righteous  retribution 
has  its  sublime  moral  lessons,  and  it  is  by  no  means  the  purpose 

of  God  that  they  shall  be  lost  upon  the  moral  universe. "  They 

have  no  rest  day  nor  night" — no  rest  in  a  sense  of  the  justice  of 
tlieir  cause  :  no  rest  in  a  feeling  that  they  have  done  nobly  in 
rebellion  against  God  and  all  goodness ;  no  rest  in  the  spirit  of  stub- 
born reckless  hardihood  and  brave  endui-ance ;  no  rest  in  the  hope 
of  ultimate  escape  or  termination  to  their  woe.  Alas !  what  one 
possible  element  in  their  cup  of  ruin  can  ever  give  them  rest  I 
They  have  madly  put  themselves  in  the  attitude  of  eternal  antag- 
onism against  God :  how  then  can  they  have  rest  so  long  as  sin  i.s 
sin,  and  so  long  as  God  is  Almighty,  and  so  long  as  the  peace  and 
the  glory  of  his  throne  demand  that  he  should  make  the  punish- 
ment of  his  madly  rebellious  and  incorrigible  enemies  exemplary 

before  the  moral  universe? It  is  well  to  note  the  forceful  moral 

bearing  of  these  scenes  upon  the  suflering  or  imperiled  martyrs 
for  whom  primarily  the  Loi'd  gave  and  John  wrote  these  visions. 
Well  might  they  say — Save  us  from  the  awful  doom  of  those  who 
worship  the  beast  and  receive  the  mark  of  his  name  I  Fearful  aa 
our  lot  of  suffering  may  be,  it  is  but  short,  and  all  beyond  is  in- 
'  etfafjle  peace  and  glorious  rest.  IJut  who  can  bear  the  doom  of 
the  men  who  madly  seek  our  lives?  Let  us  rather  pity  than  curse 
thoin!  Let  us  at  least  bear  our  hard  lot  in  patience,  for  its  woea 
are  nothing  compared  with  thcii's  ! 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XIV.  IGo 

12.  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints  :  liere  arc  they  that 
keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  the  faith  of  Jesus. 

The  best  manuscripts  omit  the  second  "here"  and  read — ''Here 
is  the  patience  of  the  saints  who  keep  the  commandments  of  God," 
etc.  The  idea  is,  Here  is  scope  for  patience;  or  better,  giving;  the 
word  patience  its  ancient  and  strict  sense :  Here  is  demand  for 
the  lieroic  suflering  of  the  saints.  They  have  before  them  a  fearful 
endurance  of  trial  and  torture  ;  let  them  brace  their  nerves  for 
this  struirgle  and  breast  the  terrible  storm,  their  eye  of  blended 
faitli  and  hope  resting  on  God  alone,  fur  there  is  glorious  reward 
to  come  ! 

13.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  lieaven  saying  unto  me, 
Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from 
henceforth  :  Yea,  saith  tlie  Spirit,  tliat  they  may  rest  from 
their  kibors ;  and  their  works  do  follow  them. 

A  special  voice  from  heaven  proclaims,  "Write,  Blessed  are  the 
dead,  etc."  This  command  at  this  precise  point  may  have  had  a 
twofold  purpose — (a)  to  phice  the  reward  of  tlie  righteous  dead 
ill  strong  contrast  with  the  eternal  unrest  and  untold  woe  of  the 
wicked  dead;  and  (b)  to  minister  to  the  Christian  fortitude  of 
tliose  who  were  then  sul)jected  to  a  fearful  ordeal  of  trial,  terror, 

and  torture. '"  IJlesscd  are  the  dead  " — yet  not  all  the  dead,  but 

those  only  who  die  in  (he  Lord — in  the  special  relation  which  is  thus 
most  comprehensively  put — dying  for  him,  dying  in  peace  and 
union  of  soul  Avith  him,  in  humble  trust  and  repose  in  his  grace 

and  love. "  From  henceforth  "  has  been  taken  by  some  to  mean 

specially  that  they  are  blessed  immediately  after  death,  with  no 
intervening  period  of  unconsciousness — mucii  less  any  intervening 
state  of  purgatory :  and  by  others  to  mean  that  whatever  may  have 
been  true  in  former  ages,  the  Christian  martyrs  of  this  age  and 
onward  will  find  perfect  blessedness  in  death.  It  seems  to  me 
to  have  special  reference  to  the  scenes  of  persecution  then  present 
and  impending,  and  to  say  in  view  of  those  scenes,  not  only  that 
the  martyred  dead  were  blessed,  Imt  that  from  this  point  onward 
tlieir  lot  would  be  rather  enviable  than  otherwise — not  to  be 
I'carcd  liut  rather  to  be  chosen,  so  glorious  would  be  their  reward 
and  so  surely  would  they  escape  all  tiie  further  toils  and  persecu- 
tions of  this  life.  Of  course  it  alhrms  the  great  gospel  truth  of  the 
immediate  blessedness  of  those  who  die  in  the  Lord,  for  all  such  rest 
from  all  (he  toils  and  trials  which  press  upon  them  in  this  earthly 

state  ;  all  such  hasten  to  their  incfl'ably  gh)rious  reward. Their 

works  follow  closely  after  them,  to  determine  the  question  of  their 

destiny  and  to  receive  their  appropriate  reward. This  must  not 

be  pressed  to  mean  that  their  iieavenly  blessedness  is  simj)]y  the 
reward  of  work  and  not  of  grace;  l)ut  that  their  works  are  the 
witness  of  their  fidelity  to  Christ  and  place  them  within  the  pale 
of  his  friends  whom  he  graciously  rewards  immeasurably  beyond 


166  EEVELATION.— CILVr.  XIV. 

tlio  line  of  tlielr  simply  just  dosorts.  Po  great  is  his  love  to  those 
who  have  souLjlit  to  bo  true  and  i'aithful  to  his  name! 

14.  And  I  looked,  and  beliold  a  white  cloud,  and  upon 
the  cloud  one  sat  like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  having  on  his 
head  a  golden  crown,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle. 

15.  And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple,  crying 
Anth  a  loud  voice  to  him  that  sat  on  the  cloud,  Thrust  iu 
thy  sickle,  and  reap  :  for  the  time  is  come  for  thee  to  reap; 
for  the  harvest  of  the  earth  is  ripe. 

16.  And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud  thrust  in  his  sickle  on 
the  earth ;  and  the  earth  was  reaped. 

One  like  a  Son  of  man  (not  ^^  the  Son")  corresponds  in  this 
point  to  the  description  in  llev.  1  :  13.  That  he  should  appear 
upon  a  cloud  is  peculiar  to  the  glorious  Son  of  man,  as  in  Acts  1  : 
9,  and  Rev.  1:  7,  and  Mat.  21:  30,  and  2G :  64,  and  Dan.  y.  \2. 
1  see  no  ol)jection  to  supposing  that  this  represents  Jesus  himself 
appearing  in  vision  as  about  to  reap  the  great  ripe  harvests  of  the 
earth.  The  figure  imitates  Joel  3:  13.  "Put  ye  in  the  sickle  for 
the  harvest  is  ripe;"  as  vs.  17-19  imitate  the  remaining  part  of 

this  verse:    "for   the    press   is   full;    the  vats   overflow.'' The 

golden  crown  upon  his  head  definos  him  to  be  the  glorious  King 

and  Conqueror.     See  19:  12. Kemarkably  the  word  rendered 

"  thrust"  applied  to  the  sickle  has  the  primary  sense,  to  hurl;  to 
send  down  as  if  it  were  a  missile  weapon  to  do  its  execution  by 
being  thrown  from  the  hand.     The  meaning  may  be  only — send 

down  thy  hand  which  holds  the  sickle. The  guilty  nations  of 

the  earth  are  here  the  ripe  harvests  reaped  by  the  sickle  of  the 
Righteous  and  Almighty  King — for  just  retribution. 

17.  And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple  which  Is 
in  heaven,  he  also  having  a  sharp  sickle. 

18.  And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  altar,  which 
had  power  over  tire;  and  cried  with  a  loud  cry  to  him  that 
had  the  sliarp  sickle,  saying.  Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sickle,  and 
gather  the  clusters  of  the  vine  of  the  earth ;  for  her  grapes 
are  fully  ripe. 

19.  And  the  angel  thrust  in  his  sickle  into  the  earth,  and 
gathered  the  vine  of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great 
wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God. 

This  scene  corresponds  mainly  with  the  preceding,  differing  in 
the  following  respects:  that  there,  the  sickle  is  in  the  hand  of  the 
glorious  Son  of  man;  here,  in  the  liand  of  an  angel:  there,  we  have 
in  symbol  the  grain-harvest,  and  here  the  vintage:  there,  the  reap- 
ing closes  the  scene;  here,  the  vintage  is  thrown  into  the  great 
wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God  and  trodden  out — imitating  in  thia 


REVELATIOX.-CHAP.  XV.  167 

point  the  scene  given  in  Isa.  C>Z  :  7.  In  each  case  an  angel  comes 
forth,  the  first  Irom  the  temple,  the  second  from  the  altar,  to  give 
each  harvester  his  special  commission,  showing  that  every  thing  is 
done  at  the  immediate  behest  of  the  Great  Lord  of  all. 

20.  And  the  wine-press  was  trodden  without  the  city,  and 
hlood  came  out  of  the  wine-press,  even  unto  the  horse-bri- 
dles, by  the  space  of  a  tliousaud  and  six  hundred  furlongs. 

The  treading  of  this  vintage  brings  out  blood,  human  blood — and 
in  quantities  fearfully  vast — unto  the  horses'  bridles,  for  the  dis- 
tance of  sixteen  hundred  furlongs — two  hundred  miles!  A  most 
appalling  scene!  It  has  been  often  said  that  this  is  proxi- 
mately the  length  of  Italy,  the  peninsula  of  which  Eome  is  the 
great  central  city.  If  this  be  not  the  reason  for  this  specific  lim- 
itation, I  know  not  Avhat  reason  can  be  assigned.  It  must  signify 
an  immense  destruction  of  human  life,  although  this  language, 
since  it  represents  simply  what  was  seen  in  vision,  need  not  be 
pres.sed  to  signify  a  precisely  literal  ocean  of  blood  two  hundred 

miles  long. It   is  entirely  obvious  that  these  two  scenes,  the 

grain-harvest  (vs.  14-16),  and  the  vintage  (vs.  17-20),  are  a  two- 
fold representation  of  the  same  grand,  fearful  destruction  of  (Jod's 
enemies.  As  the  power  of  the  Pagan  Rome  of  that  age  was  world- 
wide— "a  great  city  Avhich  rcigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth" 
(17:  18) — it  seems  natural,  not  to  say  inevitable,  to  apply  these 
twofold  descriptions  to  her  predicted  fall.  It  is  but  expanding  in 
new  form  the  announcement  given  by  the  second  angel  (v.  8). 
"Fallen,  fallen  is  Babylon  the  great!"  And  with  her  shall  fall 
also  the  nations  which  drank  at  her  hand  the  hot  Avine  of  the 
maddening  cup  of  her  bewitching  idolatry.  The  historians  who 
have  written  of  the  decline  and  fall  of  the  old  Roman  empire  have 
nnconscionsly  written  the  fulfillment  of  these  wonderful  prophecies. 
The  same  subject  which  in  divine  prophecy  justified  these  varied, 
sublime  and  portentous  symbols,  became  a  fit  theme  for  human 
history,  scarcely  ever  surpassed  in  its  grandcvu*  of  eloquence  and 
in  its  lessons  of  moral  instruction. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

As  the  seven  seals  (chaps.  G,  and  8:  1),  and  the  seven  trumpeta 
(chaps.  8 — 11)  which  were  developed  out  of  the  seventh  seal,  all 
precede  and  prelude  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  so  the  seven  angels  with 
vi:ils,  portending  the  seven  last  plagues,  precede  and  foretoken  the 
full  of  old  Rumo,      In  the  opening  of  this  chapter  they  appear  a 


168  REVELATIOX.-CIIAP.  XV. 

new  marvel  in  heaven;  but  the  detailed  report  of  their  mission  is 
delayed  a  while  to  show  the  joy  and  the  songs  of  heaven  in  quiek 
anticipation  of  the  triumph  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ  which  the 
judgments  they  foretoken  were  intended  to  secure.  Hence  we 
have  in  this  chapter  the  vision  of  the  seven  angels  with  the  seven 
last  plagues  (v.  1);  the  glassy  sea  and  the  victorious  ones  with 
harps  of  God  (v.  2) ;  their  song  (vs.  3,  4) ;  the  opening  of  the  tem- 
ple in  heaven  and  the  seven  angels  coming  forth  from  it  (vs.  5,  0) ; 
one  of  the  four  living  ones  gives  them  their  golden  vials  (v.  7); 
whereupon  the  temple  is  filled  with  smoke,  indicating  the  glorious 
presence  of  Jehovah  (v.  8). 

1.  And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  marvel- 
ous, seven  angels  having  the  seven  hist  plagues ;  for  in  them 
is  filled  up  the  wrath  of  God. 

1  see  no  reason  to  doubt  that  these  seven  angels  with  the  seven 
vials,  whose  mission  and  its  results  fill  up  chap.  IG,  bear  the  same 
relation  to  the  fall  of  Pagan  Home  that  the  seven  seals  and  the 
seven  trumpets  bore  to  the  fall  of  Judaism  and  of  its  representa- 
tive city  in  the  former  part  of  this  book.  As  the  development  of 
those  foreordained  judgments  was  suspended  there  (chap.  7),  to 
show  us  the  anticipative  joy  of  the  righteous,  so  here  we  have  the 
song  of  those  who  have  gained  the  victory  over  the  beast.  The 
seven  angels  are  simply  introduced  to  the  seer ;  and  then  the  nar- 
ration of  their  work  is  suspended  to  give  us  at  this  point  the  song 
of  the  victors. These  plagues  are  called  the  "last"  with  refer- 
ence to  the  fall  of  Kome — the  last  she  will  need,  for  they  will  be 
final.  Possibly  this  thought  may  be  embraced — the  last  which  this 
book  will  have  occasion  to  present  in  detail.  In  these  is  filled  up 
the  wrath  of  God;  these  will  complete  the  judgments  which  the 
justice  of  God  demands  upon  the  great  persecuting  powers  then 
extant. 

2.  And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire : 
and  them  that  had  gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast,  and 
over  his  image,  and  over  his  mark,  and  over  the  nnmber  of 
his  name,  stand  on  the  sea  of  glass,  having  the  harps  of 
God. 

This  glassy  sea  appeared  as  if  the  glass  were  mingled  with  fire, 
brilliant  and  flashing  perhaps;  most  radiant  and  splendid.  The 
terms  doubtless  describe  the  appearance — not  the  material  itself 

Upon  or  by  it  are  those  wlio  had  triumphantly  withstood  all 

the  assaults  of  the  beast  upon  their  piety  and  integrity — who  had 
come  oft'  conqueror  in  the  fierce  struggle  and  temptation  which 
befell  the  Christian  men  and  women  of  those  times. The  ap- 
proved text  omits  "over  his  mark,"  and  also  the  article  "the"  be- 
fore "harps  of  God,"  making  it,  "having  harps  of  God." It  is 

not  entirely  clear  whether  this  sea  of  glass  is  a  tacit  allusion  to 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XV.  169 

Israel  standing  on  the  hither  shore  of  the  IJcd  8ea  wlien  they  sung 
that  famous  song  of  Moses  (Ex.  15),  or  whether  it  is  part  of  the 
symbolic  imagery  of  heaven  itself — the  basis  of  the  gi'eat  central 
throne,  upon  which  the  redeemed  arc  seen  standing  and  singing 
this  song  of  triumph. 

r*>.  And  they  sing  the  song  of  JMoses  the  servant  of  GT>d, 
and  the  song  of  the  Lamb,  saying,  Great  and  marvelous  are 
thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty;  just  and  true  are  thy  ways, 
thou  King  of  saints. 

4.  AVho  shall  not  fear  thee,  0  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name? 
for  thou  only  art  holy :  for  all  nations  shall  come  and  wor- 
ship before  thee ;  for  thy  judgments  are  made  manifest. 

This  is  doubtless  called  the  song  of  Moses  with  allusion  to  that 
^vliich  was  sung  on  the  shore  of  the  Ked  8ea  in  triumph  over  the 
fallen  hosts  of  Pharaoh,  then  strewing  the  shore  with  their  ghastly 
dead.  This  allusion  suggests  the  spirit  and  perhaps  the  manner 
of  this  song,  Avhile  the  allusion  to  the  Lamb  seems  rather  to  give 
us  the  occasion  and  source  of  their  triumph,  signifying  that  tliey 
liavc  gained  this  victory  through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  and  the 
gracious  strength  that  comes  from  a  risen  ascended  Redeemer.  In 
manner  like  the  sous  and  daughters  of  Israel  on  that  joyous  shore, 
but  in  matter  as  souls  redeemed  unto  God  by  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb — so  they  stand  on  or  by  that  sea  of  glass  to  sing  this  tri- 
umphant song,  which  it  will  be  seen  celebrates  not  so  much  their 
own  victory  as  GoiCs  manijcslcd  glonj  in  his  righteous  judgment  on 
his  foes. 

5.  And  after  that  I  looked,  and,  behold,  the  temple  of 
the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony  in  heaven  was  opened  : 

6.  And  the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the  temple,  having 
the  seven  plagues,  clothed  in  pure  and  white  linen,  and  hav- 
ing their  breasts  girded  with  golden  girdles. 

" Tlie  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony"  is  here  the 
heavenly  one  in  symbolic  imitation  of  the  earthly,  corresponding 
therefore  both  to  the  earlier  tabernacle  and  to  the  later  temple. 
It  is  "  the  tabernacle  of  testimony  "  as  containing  the  ark  of  the 
covenant — the  witness  or  testimony  of  God's  covenant  with  his 
people.  The  idea  seems  to  be  that  the  holy  of  holies  is  opened, 
and  the  ark  of  testimony  therefore  brought  to  view — the  whole 
Bione  signifying  that  in  these  judgments  on   great  Babylon  God 

appears  as  the  covenant-keeping  God  of  his  people. The  seven 

angels  come  forth   from  this  very  temple  having  the  seven  vials 
full  of  the  seven  symbolic  plagues.     They  are  clad  in  linen,  pure 
and  shining  or  resplendent,  for  the  original  word  does  not  signify 
"white,"  hut  shining. 
8 


170  EEVELATION.-CIIAP.  XVI. 

7.  And  one  of  the  four  beasts  gave  unto  the  seven  angels 
seven  golden  vials  full  of  the  urath  of  God,  Avho  liveth  for- 
ever and  ever. 

8.  And  the  temple  was  filled  with  smoke  from  the  glory 
of  God,  and  from  his  power ;  and  no  man  was  able  to  enter 
into  the  temple,  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angels 
were  fulfilled. 

As  the  four  living  ones  show  their  s_ympathy  and  interest  by 
calUng  the  seei"'s  attention  as  each  of  the  first  four  of  the  seals  is 
broken  (chap.  6  :  1-7),  so  here  one  of  them  fulfills  the  ofiice  of 
presenting  to  the  seven  angels  these  seven  golden  vials,  symbolic- 
ally full  of  the  wrath  of  tiod — i.  e.,  of  that  which  represented  the 
judgments  to  be  poured  forth  on  the  doomed,  idolatrous  and  per- 
secuting power. The  "temple  filled  with  smoke"  revealed  tlie 

special  presence  of  God  as  "  a  consuming  fire "  upon  his  guilty 
foes  (Ileb.  12  :  29),  with  tacit  allusion  perhaps  to  that  weU-knowu 
symbol  of  his  presence  by  fire  as  when  he  came  down  to  take  his 
abode  in  the  new  temple  according  to  2  Chron.  5  :  13,  14,  and  7  : 
1-3  :  "  Then  the  house  was  filled  with  a  cloud  so  that  the  priests 
could  not  stand  to  minister  by  reason  of  the  cloud ;  for  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  house  of  God."  "When  Solomon  had 
made  an  end  of  praying,  the  fire  came  down  from  heaven  and  con- 
sumed the  burnt-oii'ering  and  the  sacrifice,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  filled  the  house  ;  and  the  priests  could  not  enter  into  the  house 
of  the  Lord  because  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  Lord's 

house." So  here,  no  man  was  able  to  enter  into  the  temple  till 

the  seven  plagues  had  gone  forth  and  fidfilled  their  mission.  No 
interceding  priest,  no  prayer  in  plea,  protest  or  abatement  of  these 
plagues  could  be  heard.  The  divine  decree  of  doom  is  irrevocable. 
Eternal  justice  demands  these  judgments;  uo  power  in  heaven  or 
earth  can  stay  them. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

This  chapter  discloses  the  sevenfold  series  of  judgments  that 
came  on  Great  Babylon,  culminating  in  the  seventh  with  the  grand 
consummation  of  her  doom.  This  series  of  vials  bears  a  striking 
resemblance  to  the  seven  seals  and  also  yet  more  to  the  seven 
trumpets  which  are  substantially  an  expansion  of  the  seventh 
seal.  By  successive  visitations  of  judgment,  blow  after  blow,  upon 
the  earth  (v.  2);  the  sea  (v.  3);  rivers  and  fountains  (vs.  4-7); 
the  sun  (vs.  8,  9);  the  throne  of  the  beast  (vs.  10,  11);  the  great 


KEVELATION.— CHAP.  XVI.  171 

EuphrateH  (vs.  12-lG);  and  last,  into  the  air  (vs.  17-21)— the 
progress  of  devastation  is  indicated  and  the  mind  receives  a  deeper 
impression  by  the  fuller  expansion  of  the  subject  and  the  presen- 
tation of  its  special  details ;  or  rather  by  a  succession  of  pictui-es, 
scene  after  scene  of  desolation,  you  come  to  feel  that  woes  are 
gathered  up  from  all  the  magazines  of  Cod's  providential  judg- 
ments— all  the  ministries  of  wasting,  plague  and  death — till  the 
climax  of  horrors  is  reached  at  last  in  hail  of  a  talent's  weight, 
crashing  down  upon  defenseless  cities  and  their  helpless  popula- 
tions.  To  some  extent  we  may  trace  resemblances  here  to  the 

successive  plagues  on  Egypt ,  j'ct  here  the  scenes  are  not  historic 
but  ideal — a  species  of  picture-painting — things  shown  to  the  seer 
of  Patmos  for  the  purpose  of  making  on  his  mind  and  on  the 
minds  of  his  readers  the  impression  of  successive  judgments,  di- 
versified, vast  in  their  range  and  scope,  fearful  in  their  character, 
terribly  desolating  in  their  final  result.  I  can  not  repress  the  con- 
viction that  those  interpreters  who  dissociate  these  successive  vials, 
who  assume  that  they  occur  entirely  and  far  apart  from  each  other, 
one  falling  upon  this  nation  in  some  given  age  of  the  world,  another 
upon  that,  far  remote  in  place  and  time,  and  so  on  through  the 
entire  seven,  have  greatly  mistaken  the  whole  drift  of  this  vis*on. 
As  the  seven  seals,  so  these  seven  vials,  are  parts  of  one  grand 
whole.  They  fall,  not  upon  many  entirely  distinct  nationalities, 
but  upon  some  one  great  central  power,  and  upon  others  only  as 
related  to  the  controlling  force  at  the  center.  As  to  time  it  is  in 
my  view  quite  clear  that  in  the  case  of  the  vials,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  seals  and  trumpets,  they  stand  not  far  remote  from  each  other 
but  in  close  proximity,  so  that  the  discrimination  of  the  successive 
dates  of  their  historic  fulfillment  is  a  matter  of  the  least  possible 
account.  The  series  is  designed  to  group  together  the  providential 
blows  that  fell  on  Pagan  Home,  the  judgments  which  came  in  suc- 
cessive storm-blasts  upon  her,  till,  shaken  to  her  deep  foundations, 
at  last  she  fell,  and  Imperial  Eome  was  powerless  ! 

1.  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  saying 
to  the  seven  angels,  Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials 
of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  earth. 

Precisely  rendered,  the  best  manuscripts  read — "Go,  pour  out 
the  seven  vials,"  etc.  The  great  voice  of  command  came  forth /?-owi 
the  temple  where,  according  to  Hebrew  ideas,  God  was  supposed  to 
dwell  to  hear  the  prayers  of  his  people.  Jt  was  in  answer  to  their* 
prayer  that  these  judgments  came  on  their  cruel  oppressors.  See 
chap.  G:  9-11. 

2.  And  the  first  went,  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
earth ;  and  there  fell  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon  the 
men  which  had  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  upon  them 
which  worshiped  his  image. 


172  KEVELATION.-CIIAP.  XVI. 

The  vials  follow  the  course  of  the  trumpets  in  this,  that  the  first 
phii^ue  causes  suffering  but  does  not  take  life.  iSce  especially  the 
first,  second,  fourth  and  fifth  trumpets. This  sore  [ulcer],  tor- 
turing; and  terrible,  reminds  us  of  the  "  boils  and  blains  "  of  Egypt, 
and  may  be  considered  as  an  imitation  of  that  plague.     (Ex.  9  :  9- 

1 1). These  judgments  fell  Avith  exact  discrimination,  only  upon 

those  who  had  the  mark  of  the  beast  and  who  worshiped  his  image. 
8o  most  of  the  plagues  of  Egypt  discriminated  in  favor  of  Israel, 
smiting  the  Egyptians  only. Several  of  the  most  ancient  manu- 
scripts (Sinaitic  and  Alexandrine)  render  it  probable  that  the  true 
reading  should  be.  not  "upon"  but  into  the  earth,  taking  effect 
terribly. 

3.  And  the  second  angel  ponred  out  his  vial  upon  the 
sea ;  and  it  became  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man :  and  every 
living  soul  died  in  the  sea. 

The  sea  became  not  merely  as  bhjod— something  resembling 
blood;  but  became  blood,  resembling  that  of  a  dying  man,  i.  e.,  of 
one  mortally  wounded;  real  blood  and  in  abundance,  as  when  the 
life-sluices  are  opened.  Of  course  in  such  an  ocean  no  creature 
could  live ;  no  form  of  animal  life  could  survive.  Hence  this 
symbol  denotes  destructive  agencies.  15ut  it  were  vain  to  look  for 
a  literal  fulfillment  of  this.  Nor  would  it  be  in  place  to  look  for 
an  era  remarkable  for  marine  disasters,  or  for  a  pestilence  among 
the  myriad  populations  of  the  great  deep.  Such  interpretations 
lose  sight  of  the  purposed  application  of  these  symbols. 

4.  And  the  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
rivers  and  fountains  of  -waters  ;  and  they  became  blood. 

5.  And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters  say,  Thou  art 
righteous,  O  Lord,  which  art,  and  wast,  and  shalt  be,  be- 
cause thou  hast  judged  thus. 

6.  For  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  prophets, 
and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink  ;  for  they  are 
worthy. 

Here  too  we  readily  trace  the  analogy  with  the  plagues  on  Egypt. 

The  angel  of  the  waters  is  he  who  presides  over  the  waters, 

it  being  assumed  that  God  employs  angelic  agencies  for  whatever 

supernatural  effects  he  may  desire  upon  the  elements  in  the  ma- 

■  terial  world.     It  was  therefore  solemnly  significant  and  impressive 

that  this  angel  should  recognize  the  justice  of  God  in  this  plague. 

The  most  approved  reading  of  v.  5  omits  "  O  Lord,"  and  in 

place  of  "  and  shall  be,"  has  the  holi/  One,  thus  :  "  Kighteous  art 
ihou  who  art  and  who  wast,  the  Holy  One,  because  thou  hast 
judged  thus."  The  last  clause  means,  not,  hast  decreed  or  de- 
termined thus;  but  hast  injiicted  such  judgments. V.  6  sets  forth 

the  judgment  after  the  type  of  the  sin,  to  make  it  a  vivid  reminder 


KEVELATIOX.-CIIAP.  XVI.  173 

lo  the  suflorcrs  of  what  they  had  done — thus,  Because  the  blood 
of  saints  and  prophets  they  liave  poured  furth,  tlierefore  blood  dost 

tliou  give  them  to  drink!     Wortliy  are  t'ley  ! Their  rivers  and 

their  fountains  of  water  turned  to  blood  would  remind  them  of  the 
rivers  of  blood  they  had  made  to  flow  from  the  ghastly  wounds  of 
slain  prophets  and  saints  of  God. 

7.  And  I  heard  auother  out  of  the  altar  say,  Even  so, 
Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  Sinaitic  and  Alexandrine  manuscripts 
omit  "another  out  of,"  and  read  simply  and  most  briefly — "I 
heard  the  altar  say" — as  if  the  altar  were  itself  personified,  sym- 
jiathizing  with  the  sufiering  and  praying  martyrs  who  lay  at  its 
feet — {under  the  altar,  is  the  phrase  in  chap.  G  :  9-11).  The  altar 
utters  tho  convictions  of  the  holy  in  heaven,  witnessing  that  (Jod's 
ways  in  judgment  on  guilty  Kome  are  true  to  his  jiromise  of  pro- 
teclion  and  deliverance  to  his  people — righteous  in  their  relations 
to  the  eternal  justice  of  his  throne. 

8.  And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
sun  ;  and  power  was  given  unto  him  to  scorch  men  with 
fire. 

9.  And  men  were  scorched  with  great  heat,  and  blas- 
phemed the  name  of  God,  which  hath  power  over  these 
jilagues :  and  they  repented  not  to  give  him  glory. 

This  plague  causes  suffering  but  not  immediate  death.  This 
vial  poured  upon  the  sun  intensified  its  heat  to  scorching  power 

upon  these  wicked  men,  almost  roasting  them  alive.-= In  the  last 

clause  of  V.  8,  the  more  exact  rendering  is,  not  "power  was  given," 
but  "  it  was  given  to  it  [the  sun],  or  possibly  to  him  [the  angel] 
to  scorch  men  with  fire."  The  original  will  bear  either  consti'uc- 
tion  equally  well.     But  the  meaning  is  that  the  heat  of  the  sun 

was  so  increased   that  it  scorched  men,  etc. Note  the  result 

upon  these  hardened  sinners.  They  did  not  repent  but  only 
bhisphemed  God  the  more.  This  is  according  to  the  nature  of 
sinning  moral  agents.  When  sin  has  thoroughly  gained  the  as- 
cendency in  the  heart  and  the  moral  being  gives  himself  up  to  sin, 
thenceforward  rebellion  becomes  a  madness  and  a  desperation, 
showing  how  baseless  is  the  hope  and  how  contrary  to  the  laws 
of  a  sinning  moral  nature  is  the  expectation  that  the  pains  of  hell 
will  bring  sinners  to  repentance.  It  is  a  moral  impossibility.  In 
the  present  world  it  is  far  more  often  the  case  that  love  melts  than 
tliat  fear  subdues.  But  when  even  love  loses  its  power  and  is 
only  despised,  what  i*emains  for  the  desperate  rebel  but  the  visi- 
tations of  judgment,  the  madness  and  the  woes  of  the  lost ! It 

IH  remarkable  that  these  predictions  of  the  moral  elTects  of  God's 
visitations  of  pain   on   the  guilty  in   this  world  should  throw  sr 


174  REVELATION.— CHAP.  X  S^I. 

much  light  on  the  nature  of  sin  and  the  moral  effect  of  suffering 
in  the  prison-house  of  tlie  world  to  come. 

10.  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
seat  of  the  beast ;  and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness ; 
and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain, 

11.  And  blasphemed  the  God  of  heaven  because  of  their 
pains  and  their  sores,  and  repented  not  of  their  deeds. 

This  plague  also  seems  to  have  had  for  its  function,  torture, 

not  death. Upon  the  seat — i.  e.,  throne  of  the  beast,  indicatin<f 

that  these  judgments  fell  on  Imperial  Rome.  The  references  to 
"the  great  city,"  and  to  "great  Babylon"  (v.  19)  prove  that  all 
these  terms — "  the  beast;  "  "the  great  city;  "  "great  Babylon  " — 
are  used  interchangeably  or  nearly  so,  with  only  this  distinction, 
that  the  beast  and  his  horns  look  more  directly  to  the  imperial 
power,  and  the  other  terms — "city"  and  "Babylon,"  to  the  very 

city  where  that  imperial  power  had  its  seat  and  center. "Full 

of  darkness,"  literally,  was  darkened,  deeply  shaded  and  overcast 
with  gloom ;  oppressed  with  grievous  calamity.  As  usual,  dark- 
ness indicates  great  calamity,  the  dying  out  of  hope,  the  pressure 

of  terrible  ills. Here,  too,  as  under  the  fourth  vial,  men  suffer 

fearfully,  but  repent  not.  So  f\ir  from  repenting,  they  only  blas- 
pheme God  the  more  desperately,  with  mad  rage  and  the  very 
spirit  of  Satanic  rebellion. 

12.  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
great  river  Euphrates  ;  and  the  water  thereof  was  dried 
up,  that  the  way  of  the  kiugs  of  the  east  might  be  prepared. 

This  sixth  vial  has  a  somewhat  striking  analogy  to  the  sixth 
trumpet  (9  :  14) :  "  Loose  the  four  angels  who  are  bound  in  the 
great  river  Euphrates."  The  drying  of  the  Euphrates  may  be  in 
historic  allusion  to  the  drying  of  the  Red  Sea  under  the  rod  of 
Moses,  to  which  Isaiah  also  alludes  (Isa.  11 :  15,  IG),  and  not  im- 
probably to  the  drying  of  this  very  river-bed  by  Cyrus  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  capture  of  Babylon.  We  have  the  fact  of  drying 
the  bed  of  a  great  water  in  both  cases ;  the  very  locality  is  given 
in  the  case  of  Cyrus.  The  underlying  principle  appears  in  both 
cases — God's  supreme,  providential  agency,  equal  to  any  desired 

result  of  judgment  and  ruin  on  his  enemies. As  to  the  historic 

facts  predicted,  it  is  well  known  that  the  Parthians  from  the  great 
East  beyond  the  Euphrates  were  in  the  age  of  John  the  only 
great  power  capable  of  measuring  arms  with  Imperial  Rome. 
Under  the  shock  of  their  numbers  and  of  their  energy,  Rome 
began  to  lose  her  prestige  of  victory  and  her  long  acknowledged 
superiority  in  arms ;  and  soon  the  hordes  from  Northern  Europe 
and  Asia  broke  in  upon  her  as  if  indeed  the  way  of  their  kings 
had  been  prepared  of  God  for  the  desolation  of  that  great,  idola- 
trous and  persecuting  city. 


REVELATION.— CIIAr.  XVI.  175 

13.  And  I  saw  three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs  coine  out 
of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  tlie  false  prophet. 

14.  For  thfcy  are  the  spirits  of  devils,  working  miracles, 
ii'hich  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  the  whole 
world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of 
God  Almighty. 

It  results  from  the  nature  of  these  symbolic  visions  that  spirits 
I)eeomc  visible.  The  three  unclean  (i.  e.,  loathsome,  wicked,  Sa- 
tanic) spirits  take  on  the  appearance  of  froi^s — being  held  up  by 
this  symbol  to  our  disgust,  abhorrence,  execration.  They  come  ibrth 
out  ot"  the  mouth  of  the  great  red  dragon  of  chap.  12:  3;  and  out 
of  the  mouth  of  the  beast  of  chap.  13  :  1,2;  and  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  false  prophet  of  chap.  13:  11-15.  But  very  noticeably  the 
term  "beast"  in  this  last  case  is  dropped  and  Ave  have  an  explan- 
atory term  in  its  stead,  i.  e.,  the  symbol  shades  off  into  or  toward 
the  reality.  For  I  see  not  how  we  can  for  a  moment  doubt  that 
the  second  beast  (of  chap.  13:  11-15)  is  precisely  the  same  as  the 
false  prophet  here  and  in  19:  20  and  2U:  10.  The  descriptions 
given  of  his  functions  in  chap.  13:  13,  14,  and  in  19:  20  suffice  to 
decide  this  point  with  certainty.  The  first  description  is — ''  he  doeth 
great  wonders;  niaketh  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven  in  the  sight 
of  men;  decciveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  his  miracles," 
etc. — all  in  the  interest  of  the  first  beast.  In  the  latter  passage 
(19:  20)  "the  beast  was  taken  and  with  him  the  false  prophet 
tiiat  wrought  miracles  before  him  with  which  he  deceived  them 
that  had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast,"  etc.  The  "false 
prophet"  therefore  is  only  another  name  for  the  beast  which  came 
out  of  the  earth,  "  having  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  w^ho  spake 
as  a  dragon." All  these  three  unclean  spirits  are  further  de- 
scribed— "  spirits  of  devils  working  miracles,"  and  their  special 
mission  as  shown  here  is  "to  go  forth  and  muster  all  the  kings 
of  the  world  to  the  battle  of  the  great  day  of  (Jod  Almighty." 
This  is  done  by  alluring  them  into  the  idolatries  of  old  Rome  and 
into  her  persecuting  work  against  the  saints  of  God.  This  of 
course  Avould  put  them  into  antagonism  against  Almighty  God  and 
array  them  for  that  final  battle  which  the  visions  of  this  prophecy 
portend. 

15.  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watch- 
elh,  and  kcepcth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they 
Boe  his  shame. 

"Come  as  a  thief,"  but  only  in  the  respect  here  indicated,  i.  e., 
not  to  steal — not  to  violate  a  precept  of  the  moral  law ;  but  to 
come  suddenly,  with  no  immediate  and  special  forewarning.  The 
symbol  contemplates  the  taking  away  of  another's  clothing  sur- 
reptitiously, leaving  him  when  he  awoke  with  no  garments  to  hide 


176  KEVELATION.— CHAP.  XVI. 

Ilia  sliame.  But  of  course  snch  symbols  must  be  construed  with- 
in the  limitations  wliich  the  nature  of  the  case  demands. The 

solemn  admonition  is,  Watch  ;  for  else  the  coming  of  the  Almighty 
in  his  jridgments  will  Und  the*  sleeping  and  leave  thee  naked  and 
undone ! 

IG.  And  he  gathered  them  togetlier  into  a  2>lace  called 
ia  the  Hebrew  tongue  Armageddon. 

Not  "he" — any  one  individual — but  they  [the  three  unclean 
spirits],  gathered  them  [the  kings  of  the  earth,  v.  14}  together. 
The  place  Armageddon  (erjual  to  JNIount  of  Megiddo)  takes  it* 
name  by  historic  allusion  from  Megiddo,  a  place  famed  for  battle 
and  slaughter,  where  a  host  of  Canaanites  fell  before  Deborah  and 
Barak  (Judges  5  :  19);  and  where  the  good  Josiah  was  mortally 
wounded  in  battle  with  Fharaoh-nechoh  (2  Kings  23 :  29  and  2 
Chron.  35  :  20-25) — a  scene  which  became  the  more  memorable 
because  of  the  great  mourning  over  tiie  fall  of  Josiah  to  which 
Zechariah  alludes  (12:  11).  The  signiiicance  here  is  essentially — 
a  place  of  immense  slaughter.  There  tlie  Almighty  meets  them 
for  terrible  retribution ! 

17.  And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the 
air ;  and  their  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of 
heaven,  fi-om  the  throne,  saying.  It  is  done. 

These  awful  inflictions  reach  their  crisis  and  consummation  un- 
der the  seventh  vial.  It  is  poured  into  the  air,  perhaps  as  being 
the  supposed  abode  of  the  spirits  from  the  pit,  iSatan  being  "  the 
prince  of  the  power  of  the  air"  (Bph.  2:2);  or  may  it  not  be  be- 
cause, poured  out  upon  the  air,  it  was  naturally  diffused  over  all 

the  realm  of  the  beast,  taking  effect  every-where? The  "great 

voice  from  the  temple  " — the  recognized  abode  of  the  Great  God 
who  heai*s  prayer — witnesses  to  the  connection  between  the  prayers 
(/f  suffering  martj'rs  and  this  crushing  infiiction  upon  the  great; 
persecuting  power  of  the  early  Christian  age.  The  p/roclamation 
made  was  tersely  and  terribly  expressive — done^  doxe  !  Imperial 
Konre  goes  down  and  is  no  more!  So  m;ueh  was  shown  and  said 
in  this  heaTenly  vision. 

18.  And  there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings; 
and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  such  as  was  not  since 
men  were  upon  the  earth,  so  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  so 
great. 

The  old  manuscripts  exhibit  some  diversity  in  the  onder  of  the 
three  words — "voices;"  thunders;  lightnings;  with  the  best 
authorities  for  this:  "lightning  and  voices  and  thunder.'"  This 
diversity  may  be  due  to  some  doubt  whether  there  were  any  artic- 
ulate voices  other  than  the  echoes  of  the  thunder,  the  two  last 
words  in  the  preferred  order  expressing  but  one  idea — "  and  voicea 


KEVELATION.— CILVr.  XVI.  177 

of  the  awful  thunder." The  earthquake  was  Nature's  witness  to 

the  footsteps  of  God,  comin;;  in  his  fearful  retributions  !  The  same 
symbol  was  the  last  antecedent  forewarning  of  the  first  dread  catas- 
trophe (11  :  lo).  AVhat  could  be  more  sifjnificant,  what  more  ter- 
rific! as  if  the  solid  earth  were  trembling  and  giving  way  because 
it  could  not  endure  the  face  of  the  Almighty  in  the  great  day  of 
his  Avrath  ! 

19.  And  the  great  city  was  divided  into  tliree  parts,  and 
the  cities  of  tlie  nations  fell :  and  great  Babylon  came  in 
remembrance  before  God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the 
wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath. 

This  great  Babylon  is  the  same  whose  fall  was  proclaimed  by 
the  second  angel  (1-4:  tS);  the  same  which  is  represented  by  the 
"great  harlot"  and  the  "woman"  (17:  1-G,  18),  and  whose  fall  is 
the  theme  of  chap.  18. ller  sins  of  idolatry  and  cruel  oppres- 
sion and  persecution  of  the  saints  come  up  before  God,  i-emembered 
for  retribution,  and  now  the  time  has  come  for  her  to  drink  the 
wine-cup  of  Jiis  indignation.  The  great  city  seen  in  vision  as  "di- 
vided into  three  parts  "  probably  indicates  in  gejieral  that  it  was 
utterly  demolished,  its  imperial  power  broken  down  and  brought 

to  nought. The  phrase,  "  the  cities  of  the  nations,"  the  Sinaitic 

manuscript  gives,  "the  city,"  in  the  singular,  apparently  taking  it 
as  another  designation  of  Rome  herself,  the  queen  city  of  the  na- 
tions. r)ut  the  mass  of  authorities  arc  for  the  plural,  which  must 
be  understood  to  refer  to  the  powers  represented  by  the  ten  horns 
of  chap.  17:  12-17:  in  other  words,  the  outlying  provinces  and 
kingdoms  that  were  long  tributary  to  Rome  ;  that  sinned  with  her ; 
to  some  extent  turned  against  her  in  the  era  of  her  decline,  but 
finally  sulicred  a  similar  doom  of  righteous  retribution. 

20.  And  every  island  fled  away,  and  the  mountains  were 
not  found. 

The  scene  is  fearful  and  the  language  vividly  descriptive.  Every 
island  tied;  not  a  mountain  could  be  found — literally,  "  mountains 
were  not  found."  How  can  even  the  great  rock  formations  of  our 
globe  that  underlie  the  islands  and  make  the  huge  mountains,  en- 
dure the  dreadful  presence  of  the  Almighty  in  the  day  of  his  aveng- 
ing retributions  upon  the  "  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations 
of  the  earth!  "     (17  :  5.) 

21.  And  there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven, 
every  stone  about  the  Aveight  of  a  talent :  and  men  blas- 
phemed God  because  of  the  plague  of  the  hail ;  for  the 
[jlague  thereof  was  exceeding  great. 

Tiic  Attic  talent  is  estimated  at  fifty-sevon  pounds  troy  and  the 
Jcwisii  at  one  huii'lrod  and  fuurteon.     llail-stones  of  such  weight 


178  REVELATION.— CILVr.  XVII. 

fall  like  boinb-shot  or  cannon  balls.     The  vial  poured  into  the  air 

is  bringing  forth  its  fruit  in  this  terrific  storm! Again  we  are 

told  that  men  repent  not  under  this  last  and  most  fearful  infliction, 

but  only  blaspheme  God  the  more. The  historic  fulfillment  of 

this  catalogue  of  woes  will  be  more  appropriately  presented  at  the 
close  of  the  yet  more  detailed  description  in  chap.  \S. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

A  strange  looking  beast,  having  seven  heads  and  ton  horns,  has 
been  already  shown  in  vision,  and  some  things  have  been  said  by 
way  of  explaining  who  he  is  and  Avhat  he  does  (13  :  1-fi) ;  then  a 
great  city  called  "Babylon  the  great"  has  been  doomed  to  a  fear- 
ful and  utter  fall  (14:  8-11,  and  16:  19);  the  seven  angels  having 
the  seven  vials,  indicative  of  successive  judgments  from  the  Al- 
mighty, have  gone  forth  and  poured  out  their  vials  (16:  1-21); 
but  yet  so  far  the  explanations  given  of  these  symbols  have  been 
few  and  imperfect.  JNIore  explanation  was  needed;  one  of  those 
seven  angels  comes  forward  here  to  give  it.  This  chapter  is 
throughout  an  explanation  of  symbols  previously  shown  or  at  least 
indicated;  viz.,  the  great  harlot;  the  scarlet-colored  beast  and  his 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  The  angel  distinctly  declares  that  he 
comes  to  John  to  give  explanations:  "I  will  shoiv  thee  the  judg- 
ment of  the  great  harlot  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters"  (v.  1); 
"  I  will  tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman  and  of  the  beast  that 
"carrieth  her  which  hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns"  (v.  7); 

In  a  series  of  visions  so  thoroughly  symbolic,  where  literal 

statements  occur  so  rarely,  where  the  landmarks  of  interpretation 
are  so  few,  it  should  call  forth  our  deepest  gratitude  that  Cod  has 
kindly  given  us  here  one  whole  chapter  of  actual  explanation.  It 
will  be'notcd  with  joy  that  these  explanations  treat  of  the  most 
important  symbols  which  appear  in  the  second  principal  portion 
of  the  book  (chaps.  13-19). Here  we  have  the  great  harlot  de- 
fined (vs.  1-6);  the  explanation  of  the  beast  of  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns,  the  heads  being  first  explained  (vs.  7-11);  and  next  tlie 
ten  horns  and  their  relations  and  deeds  (vs.  12-14,  and  16,  17); 
while  the  waters  upon  which  the  woman  sat  are  explained  (v.  15), 
Hud  she  herself  is  comprehensively  indicated  (v.  18). 

1.  And  tliere  came  one  of  the  seven  angels  vvhicli  had  the 
seven  vials,  and  talked  with  me,  saying  unto  me.  Come 
hither:  I  \vill  shew  unto  thee  the  judgment  of  the  great 
whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters; 


rtE\  ELATION.-CIIAP.  XVII.  179 

One  of  the  highest  an<;;els  of  the  heavenly  hierarchy  comes  with 
inimitable  kindness  to  show  the  seer  of  Patmos  what  the  otherwise 
dark  symbols,  brouf^ht  before  his  prophetic  eye,  really  meant. 
Daniel  was  favored  in  the  same  wav,  as  may  be  seen  (7:  16,  23, 
and  8:  15-19,  and  9:  20-23,  and  10:  5-21").     John  was  favored 

with  similar  explanations  of  other  scenes  (21  :  9). It  should  be 

noticed  that  the  angel  here  proposes  to  show  not  merely  who  this 
great  harlot  is,  but  what  judgment  the  Almighty  was  about  to 
bring  upon  her — "will  show  thee  the  judgment  of  the  great  harlot," 
etc.     This  is  mainly  done  in  the  latter  part  of  the  chapter  (vs.  16, 

17). That  she  ''sits  upon  many  waters"  is  explained  (v.  15) 

to  mean  that  she  is  the  queen  city  of  the  nations — the  great  me- 
tropolis of  the  provinces  and  lesser  kingdoms  of  the  civilized  world. 
8he  sits  upon  these  waters  in  royal  state,  as  is  said  of  the  other 
Babylon,  her  type  (Isa.  47:  7),  "I  sit  a  queen,"  etc.  Of  course 
this  city  can  be  no  other  than  Pagan  Rome. 

2.  "NVitli  Avhora  the  kincrs  of  the  earth  have  committed 
fornication,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  have  been 
made  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  fornication. 

"Fornication"  in  the  sense  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets  is 
idolatry.  This  gi'cat  harlot  (Kome)  had  been  intensely  idolatrous; 
had  wrought  her  religion  into  tlic  very  frame-work  of  her  civil  in- 
stitutions and  her  fundamental  law.  In  the  period  of  her  history 
here  contemplated,  this  abomination  became  even  more  open  and 
outrageous  than  ever  before,  bj"-  the  deification  of  her  emperors 
and  the  demand  set  up  that  they  should  be  worshiped  as  gods. 
In  this  fornication  all  the  tril)utary  kings  of  subject  nations  were 
involved.  They  were  made  drunk  with  the  hot  wine  of  her  spir- 
itual fornication. 

An  objection  made  at  this  point  to  the  application  of  these 
words — "harlot,"  "abomination,"  etc. — to  Pagan  Pome,  should  be 
carefully  examined.  It  is  claimed  that  this  woman  can  not  be  Rome 
Pagan,  and  must  be  Rome  Papal,  because  these  terms  are  used  in 
the  Old  Testament  only  of  Israel,  and  of  her  ojily  in  view  of  her 
covenant  [marriage]  relation  to  God  ;  and  therefore,  when  brought 
forward  into  the  Christian  age  must  describe  an  apostate  c/nirch, 

and  not  a  merely  heathen  people  and  their  idolatrous  worship. 

Is  this  objection  valid?  I)oes  Old  Testament  usage  forbid  the  ap- 
jilication  of  these  terms  to  Rome  Pagan,  and  require  us  to  applj^ 
them  to  Rome  Papal  ? 

In  reply  I  make  the  following  points : 

1.  It  seems  to  me  entirely  sufficient  to  answer  that  these  terms 
having  passed  into  current  use  to  denote  idolatry  and  its  associate 
practices  {e.  g.,  lewdness,  necromancy,  the  worship  of  devils,  the 
olTering  of  human  sacrifices,  etc.),  miglit  be  apjilied  in  this  book  to 
Pagan  Rome  and  her  idolatries,  on  the  simple  principle  of  using 
tiie  language,  the  figures,  and  the  s3-mbols  of  the  Old  Testament 
prophets  in  the  same  general  sense  in  which  they  are  found  thera 


180  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVJI 

2.  There  is  no  reason  a  priori  for  assumrng  that  the  guilt  and 
the  odium  coucherd  nnder  these  terma  depended  so  much  upon  the 
previous  covenant  relation  to  God  of  the  parties  to  whom  they  are 
applied  as  to  make  them  inapplicable  to  Pagan  Rome.  In  this  book 
of  the  New  Testament,  idolatry  might  be  called  adultery  and  abonv 
ination,  even  in  a  heathen  people,  never  in  special  covenant  with 
God,  the  terms  being  transferred  naturally  from  the  Old  Testament 
in  this  sense. 

3.  The  guilt  and  odium  of  idolati-y  and  of  its  associate  practices 
are  the  same  in  nature  (though  less  in  degree)  in  a  Pagan  people 
as  in  an  apostate  church. 

4.  The  reason  why  these  terms  are  usually  applied  to  the  Jews 
in  the  Old  Testament  is  obviously  that  the  prophets  were  sent  to 
them  rather  than  to  the  outlying  heathen,  (iod  had  unlimited  oc- 
casion to  reprove  them  for  their  idolatries,  but  did  not  make  it  hia 
special  object  to  try  to  rebuke  and  reform  the  heathen  of  that  age. 

5.  But  should  these  considerations  seem  insufficient  to  obviate 
the  objection  now  in  hand,  it  remains  to  say  that  Old  Testament 
usage  amply  sustains  the  application  of  these  tei-ms  to  the  heathen, 

who  were  never  in  special  covenant  with  God. As  to  the  term 

"  whoredom,"  note  what  was  said  of  Jezebel,  a  Zidonian  princess  : 
"  What  peace,  so  long  as  the  whoredoms  of  thy  mother  Jezebel  and 
her  witchcrafts  are  so  many?"  (2  Kings  9:  22.)  Or  what  is  said 
of  the  Babylonians  (Ezek.  23:  17):  "The  Babylonians  defiled  her 
with  their  wlioredoms."  Or  what  is  said  of  Nineveh  in  a  very 
striking  passage  (Nahum  3 :  4),  which  seems  to  have  given  shape 
to  these  expressions  in  the  Apocalypse :  "  Because  of  the  multi- 
tude of  the  whoredoms  of  the  well-favored  harlot,  the  mistress  of 
witchcrafts,  that  selleth  nations  through  her  whoredom  and  fami- 
lies through  her  witchcraft." As  to  the  kindred  term,  "  abomi- 
nation," wrought  here  into  the  very  forehead  name  of  this  mystic 
Babylon  (v.  5),  "The  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of  the 
earth,"  Old  Testament  usage  appropriates  this  word  more  thor- 
oughly than  any  other  to  express  precisely  the  idolatries  and  asso- 
ciate practices  of  real  heathenism.  The  Mosaic  law  has  it  (Dcut. 
18  :  9)  :  "  Thou  shalt  not  learn  to  do  after  the  abominations  of  those 
nations;"  and  (Deut.  20:  18)  "Thou  shalt  utterly  destroy  those 
nations  of  Canaan  that  they  teach  you  not  to  do  after  all  their 
aboininaiions  which  they  have  done  unto  their  gods."  The  word 
became  a  name  for  the  central  and  chief  idol,  and  we  read  of 
"  Milcom,  the  abomination  of  the  Ammonites"  (1  Kings  11:  5); 
of  "  Chemosh,  the  abomination  of  Moab  "  (v.  7);  of  "Ashtoreth, 
the  abomination  of  the  Zidouians"  (2  Kings  23:  13).  See  also 
1  Kings  14:  24,  and  2  Kings  16:' 3,  and  21  :  2,  and  2  Chron.  36: 

14. And   finally  it  is   squarely  in   point   that  Jesus   himself, 

speaking  of  the  Roman  legions  and  their  idolatrous  standards 
approaching  Jerusalem,  as  the  signal  to  his  people  for  flight  from 
Jerusalem,  says  (Mat.  24:  15,  and  Mk.  13:  14),  "When  ye  shall 
Bcc  the  abomination  that  maketh  desolate,"  etc.,  "then  flee  to  the 


REVELATK^X,— CHAP.  XVII.  181 

mountains."  Of  thia  word  "abomination"  in  this  passage,  Dr. 
Alexander  says,  "  It  is  specially  applied  to  every  thing  connected 

with  idolatry  and  heathenism." With  these  words  of  his  Lord 

not  improbably  familiar  and  perhaps  present  to  his  mind,  John 
might  very  naturally  speak  of  the  same  Rome  at  the  same  age  as 

the  mother  of  abominations. 1  must  therefore  conclude  that  the 

objection  raised  against  the  reference  of  these  terms  to  Pagan 
Rome  is  without  adequate  foundation. 

3.  So  he  cariecl  me  a\v;iy  in  tlie  si:)lrit  into  the  wilder- 
ness :  and  I  saw  a  woman  sit  upon  a  scarlet-colored  beast, 
lull  of  names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns. 

"In  the  spirit"  sliould  rather  be  "  in  spii-it"  without  the  article, 
here  as  in  the  other  passages  of  this  book  (1:  10,  and  4:  2,  and 

'J I:  10). So  we   should  read,    "into   a  wilderness,"   not   "Me 

wilderness,"  as  if  it  referred  to  some  one  previously  named.  A 
wilderness  was  chosen   apparently  as  a  fit  place  for  presenting 

such  scenes  as  were  here  to  be  shown. It  is  the  beast,  not  the 

woman,  who  is  covered  over  with  names  of  blasphemy. Was 

this  beast  the  same  which  was  shown  the  prophet  and  described 
in  chap.  13:  1-8?  His  color  is  not  given  there,  but  his  heads 
and  horns  are  there  as  here,  seven  and  ten  respectively;  and  his 
names  of  blasphemy  are  made  equally  prominent  in  both  descrip- 
tions; there,  "  upon  his  head  the  nanfes  of  blasphemj'-;  "  "a  mouth 
speaking  blasphemies,"  etc. ;  licre,  he  is  full,  i.  e.,  covered  over, 
with  "  names  of  blasjthemy."  There  can  be  no  doubt  therefore  of 
their  true  identity.  There,  all  the  points  made  conspire  to  prove 
this  seven-headed,  ten-horned  beast  to  be  Pagan  Rome,  contem- 
plated as  a  civil  government,  an  empire;  and  the  same  is  no  less 
true  here.  The  woman,  i.  e.,  the  city,  Rome,  reposes  upon  thia 
beast.  The  empire  built  up  Rome  to  become  the  mistress  of  the 
world.  She  sat  in  queenly  dignity  upon  this  world-wide  reigning 
power.     The  Empire  made  the  city  of  Rome  great. 

4.  And  the  woman  was  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet 
coloi',  and  decked  Avith  gold  and  precious  stones  and  pearls, 
having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand  full  of  abominations  and 
filthiuess  of  her  fornication : 

The  woman  was  most  gorgeously  arrayed. As  to  the  facility 

of  finding  an  easy  and  natural  fulfillment  in  the  Rome  of  John  s 
time,  it  matters  little  whether  we  interpret  this  description  literally 
of  her  luxury  and  splendor,  or  symbolically  of  her  harlot-life,  i.  e., 
of  her  enormous  power  toward  idolatry  and  its  abominable  prac- 
tices. The  latter  part  of  ihc  verse  looks  most  obviously  to  the 
latter  idea.  "  The  golden  cup  in  her  hand  full  of  abominations," 
etc.,  was  that  with  which  she  seduced  the  nations  into  her  national 


182  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVII. 

sins,  poisoning  the  minds  of  the  great  men  of  the  earth  and  firing 
their  passions  toward  her  idolatrous  corruptions.  As  to  luxury, 
the  ruins  of  Ilerculaneum  and  Pompeii,  buried  in  that  very  age 
and  disinterred  within  our  own,  reveal  no  two  facts  more  striking 
than  these — that  the  style  of  common  life  was  gorgeously  splendid, 
and  that  society  must  have  been  inexpressibly  rotten  with  lasciv' 
iousness — the  fruit  no  doubt  in  large  part  of  the  debasing  influence 
of  idol-worship  and  its  associate  abominations. 

5.  And  upon  her  forehead  rvas  a  name  written,  MYS- 
TERY, BABYLON  THE  GREAT,  THE  MOTHER 
OF  HARLOTS  AND  ABOMINATIONS  OF  THE 
EARTH. 

It  is  fully  in  harmony  with  tlie  manner  of  this  book  that  its 
prominent  personages  should  Avcar  their  own  names  on  their  fore- 

lieads,  or  elsewhere  on  the  person, On  this  verse,  critics  make 

two  questions (1.)  How  many  of.  these  words   belong  to  the 

name  and  Avere  written  upon  her  forehead,  and  how  much  of  the 

verse  (if  any)  is   the  angel's   explanation  of  her   name? (2.) 

What  does  the   name  mean  and   to   whom  does  it   belong  ? 

Some  editions  of  the  English  Bible  put  all  the  words  after  "  writ- 
ten," in  large  capitals,  assuming  that  they  all  belong  to  her  in- 
scribed name.  The  original  gives  us  no  such  help  toward  the 
views  of  the  writer.  Yet  it  seems  to  me  by  no  means  improbable 
that  the  English  version  has  given  it  truly.  The  word  "mystery" 
suggests  that  the  name  is  mystic,  symbolic  ; — has  an  occult  mean- 
ing. Prof.  Stuart  thinks  that  the  name  really  written  on  her 
forehead  was  only  "  Babylon  the  Great,"  and  objects  against  in- 
cluding in  the  name  the  words  that  follow,  urging  that  this  woman 
would  not  call  herself  "  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of 

the  earth." Very  true,  neither  did  she  call  herself  "  Babylon 

tlie  Great."  The  prophet  is  not  giving  us  the  name  which  Rome 
gave  to  herself,  but  the  mystic  name  under  which  this  woman 
was  shown  to  him  by  the  angel.  All  these  words  have  their  ap- 
propriate place  and  fulfill  their  appropriate  functions  upon  her 
iurehead  when  viewed  in  this,  their  true  light. As  to  the  mean- 
ing little  more  need  be  said.  The  name  proves  this  Avoman  to  be 
the  very  "Babylon  the  Great"  whose  fall   is   announced  in   14: 

8,  and   16:   19,   and   throughout  chap.   18. Her   harlotry  and 

abomination  need  no  further  explanation. 

6.  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunken  with  the  blood  of  the 
saints^,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  niartyr.s  of  Jesus :  and 
when  I  saw  her,  I  wondered  with  great  admiration. 

7.  And  the  angel  said  unto  me,  Wherefore  didst  thou 
marvel?  I  will  tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and 
of  the  boast  that  carrieth  her,  which  hath  tlie  seven  heads 
and  ten  liorus. 


REVELATION.— CITAP.  XVII.  1S3 

i^he  was  seen  drunk  Avith  the  blood  of  the  saincs  and  marlyro. 
Nero  insti<;ated  a  most  bloody  persecution;  Domitian  followed, 
and  several  other  emperors. Jn  the  phrase,  "  with  great  admi- 
ration," [judge  that  "admiration"  in  its  modern  sense  is  not 
quite  the  word.  Admiring  implies  something  akin  to  approving, 
and  by  no  means  expresses  the  amazement  and  probably  even 
horror  which  this  spectacle — a  woman  drunk  with  blood — the 
blood  of  innocent  men  and  women — had  produced  in  his  mind. 
Ah,  he  must  have  thought — "  and  docs  this  indicate  the  sufferings 
yet  to  be  borne  by  the  people  of  my  CJod — the  blood  yet  to  be 
shed  of  saints  and  martyrs,  my  own  brethren  ?  "  And  very  prob- 
ably his  inquiring  mind  was  still  asking — Who  is  this  woman  ? 

What  persecuting  power  does  she  represent? To  this  supposed 

attitude  of  his  mind  the  angel  really  replies  in  the  verses  that 
follow.  He  kindly  pi-oposes  to  identify  the  Avoman  and  the  beast 
upon  which  she  sat,  and  his  seven  heads  and  ten  horns. 

8.  The  beast  that  tliou  sawest  was,  and  is  not;  and  shall 
ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  perdition  : 
and  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  shall  wonder,  Avhose  names 
were  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  when  they  behold  the  beast  that  was,  and  is 
not,  and  yet  is. 

One  of  the  first  and  most  vital  questions  bearing  npon  the  inter- 
pretation of  this  verse,  and  indeed  of  vs.  lU,  1 1  as  well,  is  this  : — 
What  is  the  real  present  of  these  verbs — the  "  is  not"  as  compared 
with  the  "  was,"  etc.  ?  Docs  the  angel  go  back  to  chap.  13  to  take 
up  fop  further  explanation  what  is  said  there  of  the  one  head 
mortally  wounded,  but  from  which  wound  the  beast  rallied  again 
and  all  the  world  wondered  ;  and  Avas  the  temporary  suspension 
of  beast-life  and  power  at  that  moment  precisely  the  "is  not"  of 
this  passage:  or  on  the  other  hand,  in  these  verses  (8,  10,  11)  is 
the  ideal  present  the  point  after  five  had  fallen,  i.  e.,  the  precise 

present  moment  of  the  vision  and  of  this  explanation? This 

question  is  not  without  its  difficulties,  yet  I  on  the  whole  conclude 
that  in  v.  8  and  v.  11,  the  revealing  angel  falls  back  to  the  scenes 
and  the  present  time  of  chap.  !.'>;  Avhile  in  v.  10  he  is  not  dc- 
poribing  the  scenes  of  chap.  l3,  but  rather  is  giving  exactly  the 
then  present  status  of  the  heads  (alias  kings)  of  the  beast,  so  that 
in  this  one  verse  (viz.  10)  the  present  is  the  time  of  this  vision 
and  of  its  explanation.  1  am  driven  to  this  conclusion  by  tlie 
manifest  indications  in  v.  8  of  allusions  to  the  scenes  of  chap.  13: 
1-8,  12,  14.  "  The  beast  that  thou  sawest"  {i.  e.,  as  described  13  : 
1-S)  and  over  which  "all  that  dwell  on  the  earth" — not  written 
in  tile  book  of  life — wondered  so  greatly,  the  reader  will  notice 
identifies  itself  perfectly  with  the  points  made  in  chap.  13 — "All  the 
world  wondered  after  the  beast"  (v.  3);  "all  that  dwell  npon  the 
earth  shall  worship  him  whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  book 
of  life,"  etc.  (v.  8).     Th(j.se  wonderful  things — the  beast  mortally 


18-4  REVELATION.— Cir.VP.  XVII. 

wounded  in  one  of  his  heads,  yet  living  a^ain  with  more  vigorous 
life  than  before  ;  the  great  wonder  excited  by  this  circumstance 
and  the  world-wide  homage  given  hiui ; — these  points  are  brought 
up  from  chap.  13  for  further  exi)lanation  and  aLso  to  identify  the 

beast  of  which  he  is  to  speak. Hence  this  beast  is  the  Konian 

imperial  power,  the  dynasty  of  the  Ctesars  which  began  with 
Julius;  which  seemed  to  be  smitten  down  when  the  sword  felled 
him  to  the  earth;  which  therefore  had  its  brief  period  of  not  Lcuuj 
("z's  not")  but  which,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  world,  revived 
again  with  more  consolidated  strength  than  ever  before.  The 
angel  considering  his  present  time  to  be  that  eventful  moment 
said  of  the  beast,  "  ascendeth,"  or  more  precisely,  "  shall  soon 
ascend"  [is  just  aljout  to  ascend]  out  of  the  bottomless  pit; — for 
the  angel  assumed  that  at  death  he  went  down  there ;  but  on  his 
resuscitation  came  up  again.  "But  he  shall  go  into  perdition," 
for  this  wonderful  coming  to  life  docs  not  insure  his  immortality. 
He  is  destined  to  be  hurled  back  in  due  time  to  his  own  place. 

Thus  the  angel  predicts  the  fall  of  this  Eoman  Power. The 

improved  reading  of  the  very  last  Avord  of  this  v.  8  [parcstai]  has 
the  sense — "  and  is  near" — i.  e.,  though  for  the  moment  you  may 
say  of  him,  "he  is  not,"  yet  he  was  near  and  would  soon  be  in 
life  and  power  again. 

9.  And  here  is  the  mind  which  hath  wisdom.  The  seven 
heads  are  seven  mountains  on  which  the  woman  sitteth. 

Here  is  scope  for  study,  for  deep,  searching,  discriminating 
thought.  Xo  one  can  hope  to  understand  these  matters  without 
labor. It  is  remarkable  that  in  chap.  13  we  have  at  this  pre- 
cise point  a  very  similar  suggestion:  "If  any  man  have  an  ear, 
let  him  hear"  (13:  9).  These  are  matters  of  vital  interest,  but 
you  must  needs  bend  your  ear  intently  if  you  would  hear — give 

your  mind  to  deep  thought  if  you  would  understand. The  seven 

heads  have  a  twofold  significance,  first  applying  to  the  geographi- 
cal locality  of  the  woman,  alias  the  city  which  was  the  capital  of 

this  empire;  and  secondly,  to  the  succession  of  her  kings. It 

need  not  disturb  us  that  in  the  scenes  of  a  vision  as  in  the  scenes 
of  a  night  dream,  there  should  be  a  slight  and  sudden  change  or 
shifting  of  some  of  the  aspects,  as  here  in  v.  3  the  woman  sits  on 
the  beast  and  in  this  v.  9  she  sits  on  seven  mountains.  There  is 
truth  in  both  views,  and  they  are  by  no  means  incongruous. 
Geographically  she  sat  on  the  well-known  seven  hills  of  the  great 
city,  Rome;  but  politically,  she  sat  on  the  seven-headed  and  ten- 
horned  beast.  These  points  are  of  prime  importance  to  identify 
her  in  both  these  respects — her  relation  to  phtce,  and  her  relation 
to  the  great  political  powers  of  tlie  world. 

10.  And  there  are  seven  kings :  five  are  fallen,  and  ona 
is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come  ;  and  when  he  cometh,  he 
must  continue  a  short  space. 


EEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  XVII.  185 

I  see  no  reason  or  room  to  doubt  that  the  seven  kinqs  jvs  well 
as  the  seven  mountains  have  each  their  symbols  in  the  seven  heads 
of  the  beast.  That  is,  those  seven  heads  had  a  twofold  reference ; 
first  to  the  geographical  jwsitlon  of  this  great  persecuting  power ; 
second,  to  his  political   history  and   character.     The  latter  is  the 

point  explained  here. No  symbol  can  be  more  appropriate  than 

this  of  a  head  or  a  horn  upon  a  beast  to  denote  the  kings  of  a 
given  dynasty  or  political  power.  The  usage  of  Daniel  is  decisive 
to  this  point.  In  his  visions  (chaps.  7  and  8)  horns  upon  a  beast 
are  divinely  declared  and  historically  shown  to  be  kings  in  a  polit- 
ical d^'nasty,  or  as  the  case  may  be,  an  empire.  In  these  visions 
shown  to  John  it  is  simply  undeniable  that  Daniel's  visions — 
beasts  and  horns — are  the  antecedent  types  from  which  these 
symbols   are   taken.     Hence   the   usage  of  beasts   and   horns   in 

Daniel   should  determine  their  corresponding  usage  here. It 

need  occasion  no  embarrassment  that  here  we  have  heads  as  well 
as  horns.  There  was  a  demand  for  both.  The  ten  horns  needed 
to  be  distinguished  from  the  seven  heads.  A  head  is  just  as  good 
as  a  horn  for  the  symbol  of  an  individual  king. 

"  There  are  seven  kings."  The  symbol  of  the  seven-headed 
lieast  embraces  so  many — no  more.  Of  these  "the  five"  (so  the 
(ireek  has  it),  i.  e.,  the  first  five  are  fallen ;  the  one  next  in  the  order 
of  succession  is  now  on  his  throne  ;  the  other,  to  fill  out  the  seven, 
is  not  yet  come;  but  when  he  comes,  he  will  have  but  a  short 
reign. To  all  this,  Koman  history  accords  with  perfect  precis- 
ion. This  imperial  dynasty  began  with  Julius  C«sar.  After  him 
reigned  the  other  four  Avho  had  then  fallen,  viz.,  Augustus,  Tibe- 
rius, Caligula,  Claudius — five.  All  these  had  fallen  at  the  point 
when  this  vision  was  being  shown,  and  this  explanation  of  it  was 
lu'ing  given.  Nero  was  the  sixth,  then  on  the  throne.  Galba 
fullowed    soon,    and    his    "short   space"    was    historically   seven 

months. Thus  with  no  forced  construction  but  in  a  most  easy 

and  obvious  application  of  the  revealing  angel's  words,  vre  have 
tiie  great  facts  of  Roman  history  precisely  indicated.  An  expla- 
nation of  prophetic  symbols,  divinely  given,  ought  to  tally  Avitli 
history  easily  and  with  great  precision  and  accuracy.  It  surely 
will  if  you  bring  to  it  the  right  history — i.  e.,  if  you  have  the  true 
application  of  the  symbols  to  history.  This  history  fits  the  angel's 
interpretation  of  these  symbols  perfectlj^  There  can  be  no  rational 
doubt,  therefore,  tliat  this  applicati(jn  of  his  symbols  to  history  is 
the  true  one. 

11.  And  the  boast  that  was,  aiul  i.s  not,  even  he  is  the 
eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition. 

The  seven  heads  are  now  disposed  of;  their  history  is  finished. 
But  the  beast  still  lives.  The  exigencies  and  the  convenience 
(we  may  perhaps  say)  of  the  symbols  did  not  require  a  represen- 
tation of  more  than  seven  heads.  Whether  this  restriction  was 
due  to  a  certain  attractive  power  in  the  number  seven — a  power 


186  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVII. 

of  usage  or  of  popular  taste  wliich  puts  almost  every  thing  in  this 
book  into  sevens,  it  is  of  no  special  consequence  to  decide.  But 
the  verse  before  us  plainly  shows  that  the  beast  survives  his  seven 
lieads — lives  on  after  they  have  all  fallen;  and  this  I  take  it  is 
precisely  what  the  angel  means  to  teach  in  this  verse.  Having 
taught  us  this  fact,  he  drops  the  whole  subject  of  the  heads  of  the 

beast,  and  pi'oceeds  to  speak  of  his  ten  horns. The  manner  in 

which  he  gives  us  this  great  fact  of  the  continued  life  of  the  beast 
after  the  fall  of  his  seven  lieads  [kings]  is  very  striking,  yet  very 
apposite.  Thus :  The  beast  who  exhibited  such  marvelous  vitality 
(as  was  shown  in  chap.  13) — the  beast  "  that  was,"  and  then 
seemed  not  to  be,  but  yet  revived  again  ;  the  beast  that  every 
body  thought  was  smitten  dead  in  Julius  Cajsar,  but  which  came 
to  life  again  in  Augustus ;  that  beast  which  would  not  die,  even 
he  is  the  eighth — his  life  goes  on  after  the  seven  heads  have  fallen ; 
the  beast  himself  is  this  eighth  head  [we  no  longer  keep  up  the 
symbol  of  successive  lieads  upon  the  beast]  yet  this  beast  is  of 
the  seven;  he  has  essentially  the  same  characteristics.  There  is 
no  special  change  in  this  Roman  dynasty.  It  lives  under  Ves- 
pasian, Titus,  Commodus,  Domitian — but  we  can  not  and  need  not 
trace  their  particular  history  farther.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  in 
(iod's  glorious  and  righteous  purpose,  this  beast  is  destined  to  go 
into  perdition.  Let  the  saints  take  courage.  Imperial  persecuting 
Rome  is  fatally  doomed  ! 

Before  I  pass  on  from  this  description  of  "  the  beast  that  was 
and  is  not,"  it  may  be  due  to  the  well-earned  reputation  of  Prof. 
Stuart  that  I  should  notice  his  view  of  the  reason  why  "  is  not "  is 
affirmed  of  this  seven-headed  beast.  He  argues  against  and  rejects 
the  reference  to  Julius  Caesar,  but  defends  elaborately  a  supposed 

reference  to  Nero. Against  the  reference   to  Julius  Caesar  he 

urges — (1.)  That  (in  13  :  3)  the  words,  "one  of  his  heads,"  do  not 
necessarily  mean  the  first  one.  8o  far  rightly.  (2.)  That  accord- 
ing to  the  account  (13:  3)  this  one  head  was  not  actually  but 
only  seemingly  killed — "as  it  were  wounded  to  death."  Whereas 
Julius  Cajsar  was  really  killed;  therefore  the  description  does  not 

apply  to  him. To  wliich  I  answer:  The  account  shows  that  tiie 

head  received  a  mortal  wound,  but  that  to  the  astonishment  of 
the  world,  the  least  did  not  die  of  this  wound,  but  rallied  and 
lived  on.  Ordinarily  a  wound  which  destroj^s  the  life-functions  of 
the  head  proves  fatal  to  the  animal;  but  in  the  case  of  this  seven- 
headed  beast,  this  common  law  was  strangely  overruled.  There- 
fore the  historic  facts  respecting  Julius  Ca3sar  correspond  witli 
admirable   precision   to  the   descriptive   points   made   in   chapter 

13:  3,  12,  14. (3.)  Prof.   S.    deems   it  conclusive  against   the 

opinion  which  I  have  presented,  that  "  the  beast  in  question  was 
a  fierce  persecutor  of  the  Christian  church  ;  whereas  Julius  Caesar 

perished  about  a  century  before  persecution  began." Perhaps 

it  did  not  occur  to  Prof  S.  that  he  confounds  the  first  head  with 
the  bea.st  himself,  and  that  tliis  confusion — this  unobserved  sub- 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVII.  187 

Btltution  of  the  one  for  tlie  other,  is  the  only  ground  of  his  "con- 
clusive "  argument.  No  doubt  this  seven-headed  boast  wa.s  a  fierco 
persecutor  of  the  Christian  cliurch ;  but  it  is  nowhere  said  that 
the  first  head  ■was,  or  tiiat  the  beast  was  during  the  reign  of  the 
first  head.  Prof  Stuart  himself  makes  Julius  the  first  of  the  seven 
heads,  but  has  not  deemed  it  incumbent  upon  himself  therefore 
to  prove  that  the  beast  was  a  fierce  persecutor  while  this  first 
head  represented  the  beast  and  wielded  his  power. 

Passing  to  the  view  maintained  by  Prof.  S.,  viz.,  that  this 
wounded  head  was  Nero,  it  should  be  said  that  in  his  belief  Nero 
was  not  in  fact  wounded  mortally,  much  less  really  killed ;  but  the 
soothsayers  of  his  time  had  predicted  that  he  would  be  slain,  and 
would  subsequently  rise  from  the  dead  and  resume  his  roj^al 
power.  He  does  not  even  suppose  that  John  believed  this  sooth- 
saying fiction,  but  thinks  it  was  currently  believed  in  that  ago ; 
and  therefore  the  revealing  angel  spoke  of  this  head  as  mortally 

wounded  or  even  as  killed,  yet  that  the  beast  lived  again. To 

this  1  reply  that  such  honor  shown  to  the  hariolations  of  the 
Roman  augurs  by  God's  revealing  angel  is  essentially  incredi- 
ble. If  the  angel  had  any  occasion  to  refer  to  their  predictions 
(a  thing  scarcely  supposable)  why  did  he  not  at  least  brand  them 
as  false  and  lying?     This  would  have  been  in  harmony  with  all 

he  actually  says  of  the  false  prophet  (13  :  13-15). With  sincoro 

and  profound  respect  for  Prof.  Stuart,  I  yet  can  not  regard  this 
view  of  his  as  calling  for  any  other  answer. 

12.  And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten  king.s, 
which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet;  but  receive  power 
as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast. 

13.  These  have  one  mind,  and  shall  give  their  power  and 
strength  unto  the  beast. 

14.  The.se  shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb 
shall  overcome  them  :  for  he  is  Lord  of  lords,  and  King 
of  kings :  and  they  that  are  with  him  are  called,  and  chosen, 
and  faithful. 

The  remaining  part  of  the  chapter  gives  us  the  ten  horns  and 

their  relation  to  tiie  beast  and  to  the  harlot  city. Those  ten 

horns  seem  to  differ  from  the  seven  heads  in  two  prominent  re- 
spects:— (1.)  They  are  not  strictly  kings  of  Rome,  but  of  foreign 
states — those  subjected  or  allied  provinces  which  at  some  period 
"gave  their  power  and  strength  to  the  beast"  (v.  13);  "gave  thoir 
kingdom  unto  the  beast  until  the  words  of  God  should  be  ful- 
filled" (v.  17);  but  at  some  other  period  turned  against  the 
harlot — "  shall   hate    the    whore    and    make   her   desolate,"    etc. 

(v.  16). (2.)  They  appear  to  be  mainly  contemporaneous,  not 

successive.  At  least  they  are  represented  as  acting  in  concert; 
for  awhile  they  have  "received  no  kingdom  as  yet;"  then,  they 


188  REVELATION.— CIIAr.  XVII. 

'have  power  as  kina;s  one  hour  with  the  beast;"  then,  they 
"  have  all  one  mind,  making  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  being  over- 
come " — all  as  if  one  power,  etc.-^ Further,  it  would  appear  that 

they  come  forward  ujton  the  arena  only  after  the  seven  heads 
have  passed  away.  At  the  time  of  the  vision,  while  the  sixth  head 
was  in  power,  they  had  received  no  kingdom  as  yet.  Also,  the 
period  of  their  co-operation  with  the  beast  was  short — "one  hour." 
Yet  for  a  time  they  work  in  full  harmony  with  the  beast,  making 
war  Avith  the  Lamb,  carrj'ing  out  the  persecuting  edicts  issued 
from  the  Roman  throne.  To  the  joy  of  the  church  it  is  declared 
that  even  their  combined  power  shall  not  prevail  against  the  Lamb, 
for  he  is  Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings ;  therefore  though  all  the 
kings  of  the  earth  combine  against  him,  he  conquers.  It  was  per- 
tinent and  inspiring  to  the  faith  of  the  first  readers  of  this  book  to 
hear  it  said  by  this  voice  from  heaven,  "  And  they  that  are  with 
him  are  called,  and  chosen,  and  faithful."  Under  such  apprecia- 
tive and  animating  words,  who  could  fail  to  say,  80  let  us  endure 
to  the  end;  so  let  us  fight  the  battles  of  our  Great  King!  It  is 
worth  the  universe  to  have  such  testimony  from  his  lips  that  ho 

appreciates  our  fidelity,  and  endurance  even  unto  blood. To  the 

question,  Wliat  nations  and  provinces  are  represented  by  these  ten 
kings  ?  I  need  only  answer,  The  subjected,  tributary  and  allied 
provinces  generally  during  the  ages  referred  to.  I  take  "ten"  to 
bo  a  round,  indefinite  number,  and  am  therefore  by  no  means  care- 
ful to  find  precisely  that  number  ;  no  more,  no  less.  The  student 
of  Roman  history  will  readily  think  of  Spain,  the  Gauls,  the  Ger- 
mans, the  provinces  of  ancient  Greece,  of  Western  Asia,  and  of 
Egypt  and  Northern  Africa. 

15.  And  he  saith  unto  me,  The  waters  which  thou  sawest, 
where  the  whore  sitteth,  are  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and 
nations,  and  tongues. 

It  might  seem  at  first  view  that  this  allusion  to  the  waters  upon 
which  the  woman  sat  is  out  of  place  in  the  midst  of  an  otherwise 
connected  account  of  the  ten  kings.  But  a  closer  view  will  show 
it  to  be  precisely  in  place.  Rome  sat  on  scores  of  subject  thrones. 
She  had  brought  within  her  Avails  the  spoils,  the  standards,  the 
enslaved  captives,  the  conquered  kings  of  a  A'ast  number  of  subject 
kingdoms,  of  various  peoples,  from  every  quarter  of  the  then  known 
and  civilized  world.  It  was  over  these  subject  kingdoms  that  the 
ten  kings  are  supposed  to  reign.  Hence  this  is  precisely  the  place 
to  refer  to  this  great  historic  fact — her  relations  to  her  foreign 

conquests  and  to  her  now  subject  provinces. It  Avill  be  noticed 

that  this  verse  explains  the  last  clause  of  v.  1 — "  the  great  whore 
that  sitteth  upon  many  waters." 

16.  And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawcst  upon  the  beast, 
these  shall  hate  the  whore,  and  shall  make  her  desolate  and 
naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  burn  her  with  fire. 


EEVELATIOX.— ClLVr.  XVII.  189 

17.  For  God  hath  put  in  their  hearts  to  fulfill  his  will, 
and  to  agree,  and  give  their  kingdom  unto  the  beast,  until 
the  words  of  God  shall  be  fulfilled. 

The  Sinaitic  and  Alexandrine  manuscripts  (not  to  mention 
others)  concur  in  reading,  not  '^  upon  the  beast,"  but  ^^  and  the 
beast"  [not  epi,  but  kai^.  Wc  have  here  therefore  a  new  and 
remarkable  fact  respecting  both  the  ten  horns  and  the  beast  of 
which  they  form  a  part,  viz.,  that  they  shall  turn  against  this 
harlot  city,  shall  make  her  desolate  and  naked,  shall  devour  her 
flesh  and  burn  her  with  fire.  The  "  making  naked  "  is  the  ancient 
prophetic  threatening  against  the  old  harlot  Jerusalem  put  with 
terrible  force  by  Ezekicl  (16:  3G-3"J),  and  which  is  probably  im- 
itated here.  So,  burning  with  fire  was  the  punishment  definitely 
named  by  Ezekiel  (IG:  41);  by  Judah,  as  to  be  inflicted  on  Tamar 
(Gen.  38:  24);  and  by  the  IMosaic  law,  in  the  case  of  a  priest's 
daughter  guilty  of  whoredom  (Lev.  21  :  9).  Eor  similar  reasons 
lire  bears  a  prominent  part  in  the  judgment   that  fell   on  Great 

IJabylon  as  defined  in  chap.  18.     Hca  vs.  8,  18. The  historical 

meaning  and  fulfillment  of  this  is  that  these  outlying  provinces, 
and  apparently  even  the  imperial  power  itself,  shall  in  due  time 
turn  against  the  harlot  city  (Home),  and  become  the  instrument 
in  God's  hand  for  her  punishment.  The  agency  of  God  in  this 
case  is  deemed  worthy  of  special  notice — "  F'ur  God  hath  put  it  in 
their  heart  to  fulfill  his  will,  and  to  give  their  kingdom  to  the  beast 
until  the  words  of  God  shall  be  fulfilled."  So  God  has  been  wont 
to  make  the  wrath  of  man  praise  himself  All  along  the  ages  he 
has  showrf  himself  able  to  use  with  infinite  facility  Assyrians, 
Chaldeans,  Persians  or  Ivomans  to  execute  his  will  in  judgments 
upon  the  guilty.  Hence  first  they  appear  in  co-operation  with  the 
Ijcast  in  making  war  with  the  Lamb  (v.  1 1) ;  and  next,  in  hating 
tlie  harlot  city  and  bringing  down  the  retributions  of  eternal  justice 
upon  her  (vs.  16,  17).  This  seems  to  imply  that  in  the  course  of 
events  the  beast  and  his  ten  horns  no  longer  befriend  and  protect 
the  city  of  Rome,  but  under  the  over-ruling  hand  of  God  turn  with 
exterminating  force  against  her.  "The  ten  horns  and  the  beast 
hate  the  whore  and  burn  her  with  fire"  (v.  16);  the  horns  give 
their  kingdom  to  the  beast  to  fulfill  the  will  of  God  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  harlot  city  until  God's  retributions  upon  her  are  com- 
pleted.  Hei'e  the  question  will  arise — To  what  great  facts  of 

history  can  these  points  in  this  prophecy  refer?  I  answer  in  gen- 
eral— that  the  history  of  the  decline  ami  fall  of  the  Koman  empire 
testifies  most  amply  that  those  outlying  provinces  and  kingdoms, 
especially  those  of  central  Eui'ope  ((Jauls,  Germans,  Goths,  etc.) 
and  of  central  Asia  (the  Parthians  especially),  became  the  terrible 
executioners  of  God's  wratli  upon  old  Home.  So  much  for  the  ten 
horns.  But  this  is  not  all.  The  imperial  power  itself  was  trans- 
ferred to  Constantinople,  and-  then  became  naturally  the  antagonist 
and  desolator  of  Rome.     It  should  be  borne  in  mind  also  that  the 


190  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVIII. 

genius  of  the  symbol  requires  that  the  beast  should  live  in  his  ten 
horns,  should  work  in  and  through  them  during  their  active  life, 
just  as  the  beast  was  in  the  seven  heads,  and  wrought  in  and  with 
them  during  their  activity.  Coupling  this  principle  with  the  his- 
toric transfer  of  the  imperial  power  to  a  rival  city,  we  see  no  lack 
of  historic  fulfilment  in  these  predictions  taken  in  their  most  ob- 
vious sense. 

18.  And  the  woman  which  thou  sawcst  is  that  great  city, 
Vihicli  reigueth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth. 

This  verse  precisely  defines  the  woman  seen  in  vision  as  de- 
scribed above  (vs.  1-6).  She  represents  precisely  old  Pagan  Rome. 
The  language  can  apply  to  no  other  city  of  those  times.  Regard 
should  certainly  be  had  to  the  present  tense  of  this  verb,  "  reign- 
eth."  The  original  Greek  is,  "  which  has  or  holds  regal  sway" — 
a  "kingdom,"  "over  all  the  kings  of  the  earth."  Ko  language 
could  affirm  more  strongly  than  this  that  such  was  her  then 
present  status;  that  the  angel  speaks,  not  of  some  remotely  future 
time,  but  of  that  very  time  when  he  was  speaking.  I  touch  this 
f\vct  because  it  bears  with  resistless  force  against  the  theory  which 
assumes  this  woman  to  be  Papal  Rome.  For  the  temporal  power 
of  Rome  Papal  was  never  over  the  kings  o^  all  the  earthy  and  it  did 
not  reach  its  maximum  until  nearly  a  thousand  years  after  the  time 
then  present — the  true  date  of  this  book.  Such  forcing  of  pro- 
phetic words  out  of  their  natural  and  fixed  sense  should  be  sedu- 
lously avoided,  not  to  say  strongly  reprobated. 


or«<c 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

The  theme  of  this  chapter  is  one — a  very  minute  delineation  of 
the  sins,  the  luxury,  the  traffic,  and  the  fall  of  Great  Babylon. 
Conceived  of  as  the  mart  of  the  nations,  the  great  center  of  trade 
and   commerce, — the   merchants  and  seafaring  men  of  the  earth 

bewail  her  fall  as  ruinous  to  their  prosperity. The  drapery  of 

this  chapter  comes  from  the  prophecies  concerning  Babylon  as 
they  appear  in  Jer.  50  and  51,  and  Isa.  13  and  14;  and  of  Tyre 
as  in  Ezek.  26  to  28  inclusive.  The  associations  connected  with 
the  name  "Babylon"  would  suggest  the  numerous  and  minute 
points  of  those  prophecies  which  predict  her  fall ;  while  the  re- 
markably close  analogies  between  Tyre  as  the  great  commercial 
city  of  ancient  times  and  this  mystic  Babylon  whose  harlotry 
[idolatry]  was  strongly  associated  with  traffic  and  commerce, 
naturally  brought  in  those   graphic   and  minute  predictions  of 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVIII.  191 

Ezekiol. It  can  not  escape  the  reader's  notice  that  this  paint- 
ing of  the  life  and  the  fall  of  (Jreat  Bahylon  makes  prominent  her 
luxury  and  her  commerce.  The  question  will  arise — How  shall 
we  understand  this  ?  Is  it  a  sin  to  trade?  AV^as  this  her  damninij 
sin,  that  she  bout;ht  and   sold   and  did  business  with  the  whole 

civilized  world  ? The  answer  must  be — that  while  there  may 

be  a  vast  amount  of  sellishness,  cupidity  and  fraud  in  trade,  and 
aithouiih  ancient  Konie  may  have  had  her  share  of  these  sins; 
and  althouiih  luxury  conduces  fearfully  to  sensuality,  pride  and 
moral  hardihood  in  sin,  yet  there  arc  cogent  reasons  for  taking 
these  descriptive  points  of  Babylon  as  symbols  of  her  idolatry  and 
of  her  corruptinfj  influence  in  this  respect  over  the  leadinfj  minds 
and  the  creat  nations  of  her  time.  Let  it  be  noted  that  old  Komo 
was  never  specially  prominent  for  commerce;  she  never  was,  like 
'J'yre,  the  mart  of  the  nations ;  probably  was  even  less  prominent 
in  this  respect  than  her  namesake — the  old  Chaldean  Babylon. 
Note  also  that  in  a  few  passatres  this  symbol  (commerce)  is  dropped, 
and  her  sins  are  put  in  the  well  known  Hebrew  figures — fornication, 
i.  e.,  spiritual  harlotry,  real  idolatry,  thus; — "All  nations  have  drunk 
of  the  hot  wine  of  her  fornication,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  have 
committed  fornication  Avith  her"  (v.  3).  "And  the  kings  of  the 
earth  have  committed  fornication  and  lived  deliciously  with  her," 
etc.  (v.  9).  Yet  fixrther  consider  that  foreign  commerce  was  alien 
from  the  spirit  of  the  ^losaic  institutions  because  it  would  beget 
too  intimate  associations  with  heathen  people  and  thus  expose 
them  to  idolati'v  ;  that  the  Avord  "Canaanite"  meant  "  merchant" 
as  well  as  a  man  of  Canaan  (IIos.  12:  7),  and  hence  the  very 
name  would  be  odious  to  the  true  Israelite  and  naturally  associated 
with  the  vices  and  the  religions  of  the  worst  idolaters ;  that  these 
ideas  were  so  prevalent  in  the  Hebrew  mind  that  Isaiah  (23:  15- 
IS),  speaking  of  Tyre,  uses  the  Avords  "harlot,"  "harlot-hire," 
"fornication"  and  "merchandize,"  as  essentially  synonymous. 
If  to  all  this  we  add  the  natural  influence  of  such  a  model  before 
the  mind  as  those  chapters  of  Ezekiel  (26-28)  which  treat  of  the 
fail  of  Tyre  and  give  so  large  a  place  to  her  trade  and  to  her  com- 
mercial relations  with  all  the  people  of  the  East,  we  shall  readily 
sec  that  the  luxury  and  trade  of  this  great  Babylon  must  have 
primary  reference  to  her  idolatry  and  to  her  pernicious  influence 
in  this  respect  upon  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

Jn  this  chapter  a  mighty  angel  comes  from  heaven  and  an- 
nounces the  fall  of  "Great  Babylon"  (vs.  1,  2);  assigns  briefly 
the  reasons  for  it  (v.  3);  another  voice  from  heaven  calls  the 
people  of  God  to  come  out  from  her  (v.  4) ;  and  testifies  to  God's 
retributions  upon  her  (vs.  5,  G);  puts  in  contrast  her  sins  and  her 
fall  (vs.  7,  8) ;  gives  the  wail  of  her  guilty  associates  in  crime  {vs. 
9-11);  and  presents  under  the  symbols  and  terms  of  trade,  a  de- 
tailed view  of  her  sins  (vs.  12-14);  returns  again  to  the  wails  of 
her  companions  in  idolatry  (vs.  15-19).  Let  the  earth  rejoice  in 
liar  fall,  for  it  is  God's  avenging  hand   upon  their  murderers  (v 


192  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XVIII. 

20).  Babylon  falls  like  a  <^reat  millstone  into  the  sea  (v.  21),  and 
rinffjnf:  notes  of  joy  are  heard  in  her  no  more  (v.  22,  23),  but  the 
blood  of  martyrs  is  found  there — the  procuring  cause  of  her  fearful 
and  fatal  fall'  (v.  24). 

1.  And  after  these  tliiugs  I  saw  another  angel  come  down 
from  heaven,  having  great  power;  and  the  earth  was 
lightened  with  his  glory. 

2.  And  he  cried  mightily  with  a  strong  voice,  saying, 
Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  and  is  become  the 
habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul  spirit,  and 
a  cage  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird. 

This  was  one  of  the  mighty  angels.     His  descent  illumined  the 

earth  with  the  blaze  of  his  glory. There  can  be  no  doubt  that 

this  great  Babylon  is  the  same  whose  fall  was  first  spoken  of  in 

simihir  terms  in  chap.  14:  8  and  again  in  16:  19. The  original 

Greek  gives  us,  not  "  the  habitation  of  devils,"  as  if  it  were  the 
abode  of  them  all  and  the  only  one,  but  "  a  habitation" — one  of 
the  places  where  they  congregate  and  dwell.  So  also,  not  "  the 
hold  of  every  foul  spirit,"  but  "  a  hold,"  i.  e.,  a  strong  hold,  a  sort 
of  prison,  a  place  of  close  abode.  Babylon  became  desecrated, 
accursed — much  as  is  said  of  her  prototype  (Isa.  13:  19-22),  and 
alsoofldumea  (Isa.  34:  11-15). 

3.  For  all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  her  fornication,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  com- 
mitted fornication  with  her,  and  the  merchants  of  the  earth 
are  waxed  rich  through  the  abundance  of  her  delicacies. 

The  word  rendered  "  abundance  "  is  the  common  one  for  power, 
dynamic  force  [dunamis],  but  here  used  for  the  prodigiously  strong 
seductive  influences  of  her  luxury  and  of  her  proud  voluptuous- 
ness. These  terms  probably  refer  primarily  to  her  influence  to- 
ward idolatry  and  its  associate  vices.  The  hot  wine  which  she 
administered  to  her  paramours  fired  and  maddened  their  passions 
toward  that  lewdness  which  primarily  means  the  giving  of  the 
heart  and  the  life  to  idol-worship.  But  inasmuch  as  idolatry  and 
lewdness  were  always  associated  in  fact  and  not  in  symbol  only, 
the  true  view  should  perhaps  include  them  both  in  such  descrip- 
tions as  we  have  in  this  chapter. 

4.  And  I  heard  another  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
Come  out  of  her,  my  people,  tliat  ye  be  not  partakers  of 
her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues. 

Even  as  God  through  Jeremiah  warned  his  people  to  escape 
from  old  Babylon  in  the  day  of  her  impending  fall  (Jer.  50:  8, 
and  51 :  6,  45) — "  Flee  out  of  the  midst  of  Babylon  and  deliver 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVIII.  193 

every  man  his  soul ;  be  not  cut  off  in  her  iniquity ;  for  this  is  the 
time  of  the  Lord's  venireance,"  etc.,  so  here,  nothing  could  be 
more  natural  or  more  appntpriate  than  this  summons,  "  Come  out 
of  her,  my  people; "  first,  lest  ye  share  in  her  sins ;  next,  lest  ye 
have  also  her  plagues.  Ecmaining  in  Babylon  would  involve  a 
double  danger;  first,  of  moral  corruption;  second,  of  physical  de- 
struction.    For  both  reasons  let  all  vi'ho  hear  and  fear  the  warning 

voice  of  God  escape  from  Babylon. iSome  commentators  give 

the  word  "sins"  ["partakers  of  her  5e«.s "  |  the  sense  of  punish- 
ment for  sin,  and  thus  make  these  two  clauses  essentially  one ; 
flee  lest  ye  partake  of  the  punishment  of  her  sins  and  of  her 
plagues.  But  this  is  an  unusual  sense  of  the  word  for  "sins," 
and  therefore  should  not  be  assumed  without  urgent  reason;  be- 
sides that  the  Greek  word  rendered  "partakei-s  of"  involves  the 
idea  of  most  intimate  fellowship,  meaning  precisely,  lest  ye  m-ake 
her  sins  common  to  yourself  and  to  her. 

5,  For  her  sins  liave  reached  unto  heaven,  and  God  hath 
remembered  her  iniquities. 

The  oldest  manuscripts  (the  Sinaitie  and  Alexandrine)  with  the 
concurrence  of  recent  editors,  reject  the  (ireek  verb  which  means 
to  follow  [anoXovdscj']  and  accept  one  which  means  to  cleave  to- 
gether [Ko??.au'].  The  figure  implied  in  the  verb  is  that  of  cleaving 
together  till  the  mass  mounted  heaven-high.  Babel-like.  The  sen- 
timent is  that  her  sins  have  come  up  into  remembrance  before 
God  for  righteous  punishment. 

6.  Reward  her  even  as  she  rewarded  you,  and  double 
unto  her  double  according  to  her  works  :  in  the  cup  which 
she  hath  filled,  fill  to  her  double. 

The  tone  of  this  verse  is  simply  just  and  righteous  retribution. 
The  earlier  authorities  for  the  text  omit  "  you "  in  the  clause, 
"  rewarded  you,"  reading  it,  Render  to  her  even  as  she  has  ren- 
dered, i.  e.,  to  others  generally. 1  regard  this  command  as  ad- 
dressed not  to  (jod's  people  on  earth,  but  rather  to  those  angelic 

agents  who  were  to  be  the  executioners  of  God's  judgments. 

There  is  no  occasion  to  press  the  words  here  used  to  the  literal 
and  extreme  sense  of  giving  to  Babylon  double  what  she  deserved, 
or  even  double  what  she  had  rendered  of  affliction  and  oppression 
to  the  saints.  This  ancient  Hebrew  phrase  means  full,  complete 
retribution — nothing  more.  Essentially  the  same  language  ap- 
pears in  Isa.  40 :  20,  and  61  :  7.  The  idea  of  rendering  substantial 
retribution  to  this  Babylon  may  have  been  suggested  by  the  re- 
peated threatenings  of  like  retribution  upon  the  first  Babylon, 
whose  case  was  then  vividly  before  the  mind  of  John.  This  may 
be  seen  in  Jer.  50:  15,  29.  "As  she  hath  done,  do  unto  her." 
"Recompense  her  according  to  her  work;  according  to  all  that 
she   hath   done,   do   unto  her."      Also  Jer.  5J :  24,  49.     "  I  will 


194  REVELATION. -CHAP.  XVIII. 

render  unto  Babylon  and  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  Chaldea  all 
their  evil  that  they  have  done  in  Zion  in  your  sight,  saith  the 
Lord."  "As  Babylon  hath  caused  tlie  slain  of  Israel  to  fall,  so 
at  Babylon  shall  fall  the  slain  of  all  the  earth." 

7.  How  much  slie  hath  glorified  lierself,  and  lived  deli- 
oiously,  so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  her :  for  slie 
saith  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am  no  widow,  and 
shall  see  no  sorrow. 

Her  pride  had  been  her  curse.  According  to  the  measure  of 
her  self-glorifying  and  her  luxurious  display,  so  shall  she  be  re- 
quited with  torment  and  mourning. What  she  is  supposed  to 

''say  in  her  heart"  is  imitated  from  her  great  prototype,  the  first 
Babylon,  and  from  her  sister  Nineveh,  as  may  be  seen  in  Isaiah 
47:  7,  8:  "Thou  saidst,  I  will  be  a  lady  forever."  "That  sayest 
in  thine  heart,  I  am  and  none  else  beside  me.  I  shall  never  sit 
as  a  widow,"  etc.  Also  Zeph.  2  :  15  :  "This  is  the  rejoicing  city 
that  dwelt  carelessly,  that  said  in  her  heart,  I  am  and  there  is 
none  beside  me." 

8.  Therefore  shall  her  plagues  come  in  one  day,  death, 
and  mourning,  and  iamine;  and  she  shall  be  utterl)'-  burned 
with  fire:  for  strong  is  the  Lord  God  Avho  judgeth  her. 

In  the  last  clause  the  improved  reading  has  the  word  "judgeth  " 
in  the  past,  not  the  present  tense ;  meaning  who  has  previously 
judged  her,  in  the  sense  that  he  has  passed  sentence  upon  her 

and  now  he  executes  it. The  being  utterly  burned  with  fire 

refers  tacitly  to  the  legal  punishment  [in  some  cases]  for  adultery. 

See  notes  on  17:  16. The  suddenness  of  this  threatened  doom 

on  great  Babylon  as  well  as  various  other  features  in  this  descrip- 
tion seem  to  follow  the  prophetic  foreshowing  of  the  fall  of  the 
first  Babylon.  In  her  case  the  facts  of  historj'  Avere  that  the  first 
blow  fell  suddenly  in  one  fearful  night ;   but  the  utter  and  final 

ruin  of  the  city  filled  out  centuries. The  facts  of  history  in  the 

case  of  Bome  will  come  up  for  special  consideration  when  all  the 
points  of  this  prophecy  shall  be  fully  before  us. 

9.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  have  committed  for- 
nication and  lived  deliciously  with  her,  shall  bewail  her, 
and  lament  for  her,  when  they  shall  see  the  smoke  of  her 
burning, 

10.  Standing  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment,  saying, 
Ala.s,  alas,  that  great  city  Babylon,  that  mighty  city!  .for  in 
one  hour  is  thy  judgment  come. 

For  the  sense  in  which  "  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed 

fornication  with  her"  see  notes  on  17:  2. The  conception  of 

the  kings  of  the  earth  "  standing  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  tor- 


REVELATION.— C II Al".  XVIII.  195 

ment"  find  lookiiii;  as  if  from  some  mountain  jK'ai<  upon  the 
«!m(>ke  of  her  burning  to  bewail  the  fall  of  that  "  great,"  that 
"  mighty  city,"  is  mournfully  impressive.  It  can  not  well  he 
'louljted  that  the  prototj^pe  of  this  conception  is  Abraham,  early 
in  the  morning,  "  looking  toward  Sodom  and  (Jomorrah  and  toward 
all  the  land  of  the  plain,  and  lo,  the  smoke  of  tlio  country  went 
up  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace"  ((Jen.  19:  28).  Not  unlike  this  is 
the  last  scene  in  the  prophet  Isaiah  (60:  'II):  "All  flesh  shall 
come  up  to  worship  before  me;  and  they  shall  go  forth  and  look 
upon  the  carcasses  of  the  men  that  have  transgressed  against  me; 
for  their  worm  shall  not  die,  neither  shall  their  fire  he  quenched, 
and  they  shall  be  an  abhorring  unto  all  flesh."  The  fires  and  the 
smoke  of  Gehenna  (valley  of  liinnom)  lie  forever  in  view  from  the 
overlooking  walls  of  the  city  of  Cod's  worshipers.  But  here  in 
this  Availing  scene,  the  mourners  are  her  sympathizing  friends, 
and  they  are  smitten  not  only  with  sympathetic  grief  but  with 
unutterable  consternation  lest  the  doom  of  IJabylon  should  fore- 
shadow their  own,  and  they  should  wake  some  dreadful  morning 
to  find  the  fires  of  divine  retribution  kindling  upon  their  palaces 
and  cngulling  their  souls  in  ruin! 

11.  And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  sluill  weep  and 
mourn  over  her ;  for  no  man  buyeth  their  merchaudise 
any  more  : 

12.  The  merchandise  of  .Cfohl,  and  .silver,  and  jirecious 
stones,  and  of  pearls,  and  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  silk, 
and  scarlet,' and  all  thyine  wood,  and  all  manner  vessels  of 
ivory,  and  all  manner  vessels  of  most  precious  wood,  and 
of  bra.ss,  and  iron,  and  marble, 

13.  And  cinnamon,  and  odors,  and  ointments,  and  frank- 
incense, and  wine,  and  oil,  and  fine  flour,  and  wheat,  and 
beasts,  and  sheep,  and  horses,  and  chariots,  and  slaves,  and 
souls  of  men. 

That  the  merchants  of  the  earth  bear  so  prominent  a  part  here 
may  be  due  somewhat  to  the  attractive  influence  of  that  remark- 
ably analogous  scene  sketched  most  graphically  by  Ezekiel — the 
fall  of  Tyre  (chap.  26-28).  He  places  before  us  Tyre,  "situate 
at  the  entry  of  the  sea,  a  merchant  of  the  people  for  many  isles," 
and  says:  "Tarshish  was  thy  merchant;  Javan,  Tubal  and  Me- 
slicch  were  thy  merchants;  Syria,  Damascus,  Judah  also;  " — indeed 
all  the  nations  of  the  then  civilized  world :  and  then  in  the  filling 
out  of  this  scene,  these  merchants  and  mariners  all  "shall  cry 
bitterly  and  shall  cast  up  dust  upon  their  heads;  they  shall  weep 
for  thee  with  bitterness  of  heart  and  bitter  wailing,  and  in  their 
wailing  they  shall  take  up  a  lamentation  for  thee."  "  What  city 
is  like  'i'yrus,  like  the  destroyed  in  the  midst  of  the  sea!"  tio 
'lie  traffickers  with  old  Home  whose  heart  and  hand  had  been 


196  llEVELATION.— CHAP.  XVIII. 

with  hers  in  vohiptuousness,  idolatry  and  oppression  are  now  chief 
mourners  over  her  lall.  'I'his  sketching  imitates  Ezekiel  in  the 
remarkable  minuteness  of  the  description  and  in  that  rare  felicity 
of  moral  painting  which  makes  every  distinct  feature  serve  to  in- 
tensify the  one  grand  impression  of  the  whole  scene. In   the 

last  clause  of  v.  13,  the  original  gives  us,  not  any  word  meaning 
precisely  slave^  but  the  usual  word  for  bodies  [Sumata].  Naming 
the  bodies  and  the  souls  of  men  in  apparent  antithesis  with  each 
other  may  perhaps  mean:  The}'  trafficked  in  every  sort  of  thing; 
they  even  made  merchandise  of  vien,  both  body  and  soul !  What 
more  could  they  tind  to  buy  and  to  sell  ?  What  on  earth  is  too 
sacred  for  their  covetous  fingers  ?     What  is  there  that  they  will 

not  desecrate  into  merchandise  and  barter  it  for  paltry  gold  ? 

I  judge  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  sale  of  men  for  slaves  is 
the  special  thing  intended,  and  not  only  intended  but  stringently 
rebuked — held  up  to  the  abhorrence  of  mankind  and  as  an  abom- 
ination to  the  righteous  God ! 

14.  And  the  fruits  that  thy  soul  kisted  after  are  departed 
from  thee,  and  all  things  which  were  dainty  and  goodly 
are  departed  from  thee,  and  thou  shalt  find  them  no  more 
at  all. 

15.  The  merchants  of  these  things,  whieh  were  made  rich 
hy  her,  shall  stand  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment, 
weeping  and  wailing, 

16.  And  saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great  city,  that  was 
clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  decked 
with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls ! 

"Dainty  and  goodly"  in  the  sense  of  luxurious  and  splendid  or 
shining. Instead  of  the  second  verb,  "departed"  ["are  de- 
parted from  thee"],  the  better  manuscripts  give  us  the  stronger 

word — have  perished  from  thee. Here  the  merchants,  like  the 

kings  in  vs.  9,  10,  stand  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment  and 
lift  "up  their  wailing  cry  oyer  her  sudden  and  fearful  fall! 

17.  For  in  one  hour  so  great  riches  is  come  to  nought. 
And  every  shipmaster,  and  all  the  company  in  ships,  and 
Bailors,  and  as  many  as  trade  by  sea,  stood  afar  off, 

18.  And  cried  when  they  saw  the  smoke  of  her  burning, 
saying,  AVhat  city  is  like  unto  this  great  city ! 

19.  And  they  cast  dust  on  their  heads,  and  cried,  weep- 
ing and  wailing,  saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great  city,  wherein 
were  made  rich  all  that  had  ships  in  the  sea  by  reason  of 
her  costliness !  for  in  one  hour  is  she  made  desolate. 

The  first  clause  of  v.  17  ought  to  have  been  the  close  of  v.  16. 
1  hen  the  mariners  are   brought  to  view,  precisely  as  we  find  in 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVIIl.  197 

Ezckiel  27. Instead  of  "  all  the  company  in  ships,"  the  oldest 

manuscripts  give  ns — "Every  one  who  saileth  hy  the  place,"  i.  c, 
all  who  sliall  ever  pass  that  way  and  conic  in  sight  of  her  smoking 

ruins. The  (Ircek  words  rendered  "  trade  by  sea  "  mean  strictly 

"  work  the  sea,"  with  probably  reference  to  plying  and  plowing 
the  sea  with  their  oars.     Navigation  was  workivg  the  sea  then  in 

a  somewhat  stronger  sense  than  now. These  mariners  make  a 

third  class  (after  kings  and  merchants)  who  wail  as  they  see  the 
smoke  of  her  burning,  and  join  the  grand  chorus  of  bitter  lamen- 
tation. 

20.  Kqjoice  over  her,  ihmi  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apcstles 
and  i)ropliets ;  for  God  hath  avenged  you  on  her. 

The   improved   text  gives   us  instead  of  "holy  apostles,"   "ye 

saints  and  apostles  and  prophets." This  joy  to  which  all  heaven 

is  summoned  should  never  be  thought  of  as  a  purely  sellish,  much 
less  as  a  malicious,  exultation  over  a  fallen  enemy,  but  as  a  joy 
in  the  triumph  of  righteousness;  a  joy  in  the  fixll  of  oppressors 
and  persecutors  whose  power  Avas  simple  and  utter  antagonism 
against  human  salvation,  against  the  highest  good  of  men  on  earth 
and  of  saints  and  angels  in  heaven.  As  in  the  case  of  bloody 
Jerusalem,  so  in  this  case  of  not  less  bloody  Rome,  the  martj'ra 
had  lain  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  crying,  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy 
and  true,  dost  thou  not  avenge  our  blood  on  those  who  withstand 
thy  cause,  forbid  the  spread  of  thy  gospel,  and  murder  thy  faitliful 

saints  ? And  here  comes  the  answer  to  the  spirit  of  their  cry : 

"  Rejoice,  for  (jod  has  avenged  you  on  great  Babylon." Anal- 

agous  to  this  was  the  song  over  the  first  great  Babylon:  "Then 
tlie  heaven  and  the  earth  and  all  that  is  therein  shall  sing  for 
15abylon"  (Jer.  51:  48). 

21.  And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a  stone  like  a  great 
millstone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying,  Thus  with  vio- 
lence shall  that  great  city  Babylon  be  thrown  down,  and 
shall  be  found  no  more  at  all. 

This  is  probably  an  imitation  of  Jer.  51 :  03,  64,  where  the 
prophet  is  commanded  to  bind  a  stone  to  the  book  of  his  prophecy 
and  cast  it  into  the  midst  of  Euphrates  and  say,  "Thus  shall 
iJabylon  sink  and  shall  not  rise  from  the  evil  that  I  will  bring 
upon  her."  Here  the  action  is  grand,  magnificent — in  the  spii'it 
of  this  entire  book.  A  miglity  angel  (not  a  feeble  prophet)  takes 
up  a  stone  like  a  great  millstone,  and  casts  it  into  the  sea.  So 
great  Babylon,  old  Rome  as  a  persecuting  power,  must  go  down, 
to  rise  no  more. 

22.  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and  musicians,  and  of 
pipers,  and  trumpeters,  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in 
thee  ;  and  no  craftsman,  of  Avhatsoever  craft  he  he,  shall  be 


198  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XV III. 

fouud  any  more  in  thee  ;  and  the  sound  of  a  millstone  shall 
be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee ; 

23.  And  the  light  of  a  candle  shall  shine  no  more  at  all 
in  thee ;  and  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride 
shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee:  for  thy  merchants 
were  the  great  men  of  the  earth  ;  for  by  thy  sorceries  Avere 
all  nations  deceived. 

The  fall  of  a  great  city  is  shown  here  impressively  in  its  results — 
silence  and  desolation.  The  joyous  sounds  of  busy,  happy  life  are 
heard  in  her  no  more  ;  the  light  of  the  candle  shines  there  no  more ; 
the  happy  voices  of  bridegroom  and  bride  shall  ring  out  through 
her  festive  halls  no  more.     iSorrow  and  gloom  are  there ;  darkness 

and  desolation  bear  sway,  and  there  is  none  to  resist. The  moral 

reason  comes  in  appropriately — "  for  by  thy  sorceries  were  all  the 
nations  deceived."  She  had  seduced  the  world  away  from  their 
great  Creator  to  the  worship  of  idols  and  devils.  Therefore  she 
must  drink  the  cup  of  retribution ! 

24.  And  in  her  was  found  the  blood  of  prophets,  and  of 
saints,  and  of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the  earth. 

God  had  made  inquisition  there  for  blood — and  found  it !  There 
lay  upon  her  the  blood  of  prophets  and  of  saints ;  the  holy  and  the 
good  of  earth  had  perished  there,  and  their  blood  had  cried  to  Cod 
tor  retribution — had  cried,  and  not  in  vain  ! 

At  this  point  it  is  proper  to  give  special  attention  to  an  objection 
raised  against  the  application  of  chap.  18,  and  its  connected  and 
parallel  passages,  to  Pagan  Eome,  viz.,  The  prophecy  requires  that 
this  mystic  Babylon  should  fall  suddenhj,  and  also,  should  fall  w<- 
tcrhj  ixn(\.  forever :  but  this  can  not  apply  to  Eome  because  liome 
did  not  fall  suddcnli/,  nor  can  It  apply  to  any  fall  of  Home  that  has 
yet  transpired  because  Kome  is  yet  standing. 

To  this  I  reply  : — 1.  There  is  need  of  caution  against  the  fallacy 
of  assuming  that  the  name  Rome  represents  throughout  all  historic 
ages  the  same  thing.  If  the  mystic  Babylon  of  this  prophecy 
means  Rome  (as  I  have  supposed),  it  of  course  means  only  the 
Kome  of  the  age  of  Nero — not  the  Kome  of  every  possible  age — ■ 
not  necessarily  the  Rome  of  eighteen  hundred  years  after  Nero. 

The  reader  will  especially  observe  that  the  "great  city"  of 

this  prophecy,  the  harlot  woman,  Babylon,  Is  {a)  the  queen  city  of 
the  world,  "reigning  over  the  kings  of  tlie  earth;"  {b)  is  supremely 
idolatrous,  the  mother  city  of  Paganism  and  of  Its  abominations ; 
[c)  is  a  great  persecuting  power,  making  herself  drunk  with  the 

blood  of  Christian  martyrs. It  is  only  as  such  that  she  appears 

before  us  in  this  prophecy.  When  in  these  aspects  she  falls  and 
dies,  then  she  Is  dead  to  all  the  intents  and  purposes  of  this 
prophecy.  There  may  still  Ijo  a  place  called  Kome,  but  the  harlot 
city  of  this  book,  this  mystic  Babylon,  has  sunk  from  the  page  of 


KEVELATION.— CIIAr.  XYIII.  199 

liistoiy,  and  the  prophecy  is  fulfilled. 2.  The   history  of  the 

Jvoine  wliich   stood  before   the  prophet's  eye  in  the  age  of  Nero 

should  be  attentively  studied. Nothinij  could  have  been  further 

from  the  thought  of  Edward  Gibbon,  when  he  sat  down  one  hun- 
dred years  ago  to  write  "The  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire," than  to  make  out  an  historic  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy  as 
applied  to  Pagan  Rome.  Yet  the  simple  demands  of  historic  truth 
gave  him  the  appropriate  terms — "Decline  and  Fall."  The  empire 
went  down.  The  city  was  repeatedly  captured  and  sacked,  its 
ancient  glory  rajjidly  waned,  and  sunk  at  length  to  its  political 

grave. Note  also  that  the  Rome  of  this  prophecy  perished  in 

tlie  most  disastrous  Avay  possible — by  ulceration  of  the  heart — cor- 
ruption and  death  at  her  vitals.  That  virile  energy  which  had 
nuide  her  arms  every-where  victorious  and  her  name  a  terror  to 
the  civilized  world,  was  gradually  emasculated;  lier  legions,  once 
invincible,  became  weak  as  other  men,  and  even  lent  their  sword, 
not  to  sustain  the  empire,  but  to  crush  it.  Her  citizens,  lost  to 
virtue,  could  no  longer  bear  good  rulers.  That  she  should  have 
tlie  vilest  and  Avorst  men  that  ever  lived  for  her  emperors  became 
her  inevitable  dyom — the  torment  of  her  life,  the  misery  of  her 
people,  the  ruin  of  the  empire,  the  wreck  of  her  glory.  To  give  in 
detail  the  facts  of  which  the  essence  is  condensed  into  these  par- 
agraphs would  be  to  rewrite  the  history  of  the  Decline  and  Fall 
of  Pagan  Rome. 

It  will  not  be  amiss  however  to  suggest  that  the  agencies  as- 
signed in  this  prophecy  to  the  ten  kings  (17:  12-17)  is  remarkably 
true  to  history,  on  the  supposition  that  those  kings  were  the  for- 
eign powers  wliich  for  a  season  gave  their  strength  to  the  beast 
(v.  l.'i),  but  ultimately  turned  to  "hate"  the  harlot  city  and  make 
her  desolate  (v.  16).  No  broad  fact  of  Roman  history  is  more 
patent  than  this — that  the  outlying  kingdoms  and  provinces  which 
for  a  time  lent  their  strength  to  augment  her  splendor  as  well  as 
to  enlarge  her  empire,  in  process  of  time  turned  their  arms  upon 
her  and  became  the  main  agents  in  her  desolation.  Gauls,  Ger- 
mans, Parthians,  dealt  telling  blows  toward  her  weakness  and 
shame  in  the  earlier  stages  of  her  decline ;  Goths,  the  western  and 
the  eastern,  Iluns,  Vandals,  poured  in  upon  her  in  her  later  stages 
to  hurl  her  down  to  her  irretrievable  fall.  The  transfer  of  her 
best  strength  to  the  center  of  the  Great  Eastern  Empire  conspired 
also  to  the  ruin  of  Imperial  Rome.  The  ten  hoi'ns  of  the  beast  on 
which  the  woman  sat  became  ultimately  the  instruments  under 
(Jiod's  hand  and  will  to  her  destruction.  Thus  marvelously  did  it 
come  to  pass  that  history  wrote  over  again  this  prophecy  of  the 
ten  horns  of  this  beast  as  related  to  the  final  retributions  of  God 
upon  this  harlot  city. 

One  of  the  methods  of  estimating  both  the  corruptions  of  the  im- 
perial power  and  the  miseries  of  the  imperial  city  is  to  group  the 
personal  history  of  its  successive  monarclis.  How  many  in  any 
given  period  were  miscreants,  notorious  only  for  their  vices;  how 


200  KEVELATION.— CHAP.  XVIIL 

many  reigned  only  to  curse  their  people ;  how  many  died  by  yio 
lence  because  the  world  could  bear  their  presence  uolonfter;  how 
many  reigned  less  than  five  ytnirs,  multiplying  those  civil  revolu- 
tions that  crimson  the  best  families  with  blood.  To  reach  the  gen- 
eral results  of  such  a  table,  we  may  embrace  a  period  of  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  years  subsequent  to  the  death  of  Nero.  Then 
omitting  the  four  reigns  of  Trajan,  Adrian,  and  the  two  Antonines, 
we  shall  find  proximately  thirty-six  emperors  with  an  average  reign 
of  four  yeai's,  of  Avhom  twenty-three  died  by  assassination,  or  the 
altei-native  of  suicide,  out  of  whom  it  would  be  hard  to  find  ono 
who  did  not  richly  deserve  the  death  he  died.  The  greater  part 
of  these  emperors  were  simply  monsters  in  crime.  Of  Caracalla,. 
perhaps  somewhat  worse  than  an  average  specimen,  history  records 
that  he  murdered  his  brother  Geta,  partner  with  himself  in  the 
empire,  in  the  very  arms  of  their  common  mother,  and  then  con- 
secrated in  the  temple  of  tSerapis  tliat  sword  bathed  in  a  brother's 
blood ;  that  under  the  vague  appellation  of  "  the  friends  of  Geta," 
above  twenty  thousand  persons  of  both  sexes  sufi'ered  death  by  a 
proscription  which  "endeavored  to  reach  everyone  who  had  main- 
tained the  smallest  correspondence  with  Geta,  who  lamented  his 
death,  or  who  even  mentioned  his  name."  After  one  year  thus 
spent  at  Rome,  he  filled  out  the  remaining  five  of  his  reign  an(i 
life  traversing  the  several  provinces  of  the  empire,  "making  eacb 
one  by  turns  the  scene  of  his  rapine  and  cruelty."  "In  the  midst; 
of  peace  and  upon  the  slightest  provocation  lie  issued  his  command 
at  Alexandria  in  Egypt  for  a  general  massacre.  From  a  secure 
post  in  the  temple  of  Serapis  he  viewed  and  directed  the  slaughter 
of  many  thousand  citizens  as  well  as  strangers,  without  distin- 
guishing either  the  number  or  the  crime  of  the  sixfferers,  since,  as 
be  coolly  informed  the  senate,  ^  aU  the  Alexandrians,  both  those 
who  had  perished  and  those  who  had  escaped,  were  alike  guilty.'  " 
(Gibbon  1:  160.)  No  Avonder  that  Gibbon  brands  him  as  "the 
common  enemy  of  mankind."  Yet  "the  soldiers  obliged  the  senate 
to  prostitute  their  own  dignity  and  that  of  religion  by  granting  him 

[at  death}  a  place  among  the  gotls." Yet  this  man  was   the 

product  of  his  age.  His  horrible  crimes  and  the  no  less  horrible 
character  which  begat  them  had  their  causes  in  the  moral  and 
social  rottenness  of  the  body  politic.  Rome  was  slowly  dying  of 
her  own  intrinsic  corruption.  There  is  no  death  more  horrible. 
It  may  be  a  lingering  one,  protracted  through  one  or  more  centu- 
ries;  but  who  can  over-estimate  the  horrors  of  a  nation's_  death 
prolonged  and  drawn  out  through  centuries  ?  The  Omnipotent 
Arm  might  have  sunk  Rome  in  one  short  hour  by  an  earthquake ; 
the  doom  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii  might  have  swept  her  name 
and  memorial  from  the  page  of  history  for  eighteen  hundred  years ; 
and  some  would  deem  this  a  far  more  exact  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecies  in  this  eighteenth  chapter  than  her  actual  history  has 
given  us.  But  whoaver  shall  carefally  estimate  the  comparative 
miseries  of  these  two  methods  of  divine  retribution  -will  at  least 


REVELATION.— CIIAr.  XVIII.  201 

ionclude  tlierc  is  room  for  f^rave  question.     It  seems  be3-ond  dis- 

fiutc  that  in  tliosc  distinctly  m-tirked  respects  in  which  this  mystic 
iabylon  appears  befoi-e  us  in  these  chapters,  Pagan  Rome  did  in 
fixct  go  down  and  perish.  She  ceased  to  be  the  queen  city  of  the 
world,  "  reigning  over  the  kings  of  the  earth  ;"  her  influence  toward 
idolatry  Avas  broken,  and  after  Constantine  her  persecuting  power 
as  pagan  and  idolatrous  w:is  at  an  end. 

IJut  still  the  inquiry  should  be  fairly  met: — Can  we  accept  these 
historic  facts  as  a  fullillmentof  this  prophecy?  Are  we  authorized 
to  give  these  visions  so  free  a  construction  that  their  representa- 
tions shall  be  essentially  met  in  the  broad  facts  of  this  history  of 
the  decline  and  fall  of  I'agan  Rome  ? 

1.  In  the  first  place,  whatever  this  "  great  city"  may  be,  we  can 
not  object  that  this  prophecy  should  present  it  under  the  symbol 
of  some  great  city  doomed  to  destruction  in  the  prophecies  of  the 
Old  Testament.  This  is  the  uniform  usage  of  this  book  of  Revela- 
tion. Its  symbols,  its  sketchings,  its  colorings  are  taken  from  the 
Old  Testament  prophets.  It  is  of  no  avail  for  us  to  demand  a  dif- 
ferent usage  from  this  in  the  case  of  this  great  city. 

2.  The  fact  that  this  city  takes  the  mystic  name  "  Babylon " 
carries  us  at  once  and  inevitabl}'^  to  the  old  Babylon'  as  the  type 
of  this  great  city.  Whichsoever  of  the  great  cities  of  Nero's  time 
(the  date  of  this  writing)  this  one  may  be,  she  is  a  second  "  Baby- 
lon" and  the  prophecies  that  doomed  the  Chaldean  Babylon  to 
fall  are  before  the  mind  and  furnish  in  part  the  figures  and  con- 
ceptions to  set  forth  the  fall  of  this  great  city. A  cai-'eful  com- 
parison of  chap.  18  with  Ezekiel's  predictions  of  the  fall  of  Tj^re 
(chap.  2G-2S)  will  satisfy  candid  minds  that  those  prophecies  also 
were  definitely  in  view  and  were  in  many  points  imitated  in  these 
descriptions.  Consequently  this  mystic  Babylon  is  compared  by 
John  with  the  old  Chaldean  Babylon  and  with  the  Tyre  of  Ezekiel. 
The  language  and  figures  here  arc  drawn  from  the  prophetic  de- 
lineations there. 

3.  Now  let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  main  points  of  the 
objection  before  us  are  that  according  to  this  prophecy,  its  mystic 
Babylon  ought  to  fall  both  suddenly  and  utterly;  and  therefore 
Pagan  Rome  which  fell  neither  suddenly  nor  utterly  can  not  be 
the  city  here 'prophetically  doomed.     Bearing  directly  upon   this 

o1)jcction  two  points  challenge  our  candid  consideration. (a.) 

That  neither  Bab3-lon  nor  Tyre  fell  both  suddenly  and  utterly,  as 
the  prophecies  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  might  seem  to  de- 
mand. True,  the  first  blow  on  Babylon  was  sudden  ;  but  she 
survived  it;  she  rallied  again  and  stood  a  magnificent  city  at  least 
till  the  age  of  Alexander — fully  two  hundred  years.  Thencefor- 
ward she  went  down  slowly  with  a  decline  that  stretched  through 
other  centuries  before  the  prophecy  was  fully  accomplished.  Bo 
Tyre  fell  before  the  arms  of  ^Nebuchadnezzar  not  long  after  the 
date  of  Ezekiel's  prophecy.  But  'i'yre  rallied  again  and  rose  to 
probably  greater  splendor  than  ever  before.     Nearly  two  centuries 


202  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XVIII. 

more  of  prosperous  life  intervened  before  the  next  stunnina;  blow 
fell  on  her  from  the  arms  of  tlic  threat  Alexander.  Even  after  this 
Bhe  revived  and  other  long  aires  intervened  before  the  era  of  utter 
desolation  came  upon  her.  Yet  no  sensible  interpreter  hesitateg 
a  moment  in  applying  the  prophecies  here  referred  to  respectively 
to  Babylon  and  to  Tyre.  The  prophecies  themselves  are  perfectly 
definite  and  explicit  in  such  application.  AVe  are  therefore  com- 
pelled to  grant  that  such  language  as  that  which  describes  Babylon 
as  going  down  into  the  mighty  deep  like  a  millstone  (Jer.  51 :  6.'i, 
64)  does  not  mean  necessarily  that  the  city  must  go  down  as  with 
an  earthquake  engulfing  it  bodily — walls,  towers,  palaces  and 
people,  in  one  vast  burial  beneath  the  ground.  It  is  possible  to 
press  such  language  beyond  its  true  intent.  Something  must  be 
conceded  to  the  bold  genius  of  poetic  conception.  Essentially  the 
same  may  be  said  of  Tyre,  the  prophecy  being — "  When  1  shall 
make  thee  a  desolate  city."  ..."  When  I  shall  bring  up  the 
deep  over  thee  and  great  waters  shall  cover  thee."  ...  "1  will 
make  thee  a  terror,  and  thou  shalt  be  no  more,"  etc. ;  and  yet  the 
fulfillment,  as  said  above,  shows  that  her  decline  and  fall  Avere  by 
successive  stages  at  quite  remote  intervals,  not  altogether  unlike 

the  decline  and  fall  of  ancient  Pagan  Rome. (i^.)   But  there  is 

still  another  fact  equally  demanding  consideration.  We  can  not 
insist  that  a  copy  like  this  before  us  in  John  should  be  (as  to  its 
meaning  and  therefore  its  fulfillment)  a  precise  imitation  of  its 
original  as  he  found  it  in  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel.  For  it  is  un- 
questionably a  fact  that  a  considerable  degi-ee  of  latitude  is  ad- 
mitted where  a  prophet  borrows  language  and  imagery  from  a 
previously  written  prophecy  or  from  history.  Thus  for  example 
the  Messiah  is  prophetically  set  forth  as  a  second  David.  Ps.  2 
and  45,  and  110,  are  in  this  strain.  The  second  psalm  would  seem 
on  the  face  of  it  to  make  him  a  bloody,  all-crushing  warrior, 
"breaking  the  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron,  dashing  them  in  pieces 
as  a  potter's  vessel"  (v.  9).  But  when  we  intelligently  apply  this 
to  Jesus  Christ,  we  make  large  allowances  for  the  influence  of  the 
model  reign,  that  of  the  Avarlike  Uavid,  in  shaping  the  thought 
and  expression  of  the  prophecy  as  related  to  the  Messiah.  We 
say — Jesus  is  indeed  a  conqueror;  but  of  hearts,  not  of  walled 
cities ;  by  the  power  of  truth  and  of  love,  and  not  of  an  iron  rod ; 
melting  human  souls  to  tenderness,  and  not  crushing  them  pre- 
cisely as  a  potter's  vessel. So  Fs.  45  reads,  "  Gird  thy  sword 

upon  thy  thigh;"  "thine  arrows  are  sharp  in  the  heart  of  the 
king's  enemies  whereby  the  people  fall  under  thee;"  yet  we 
notice  that  the  New  Testament  writers  have  quite  modified  the 
warlike  tone  and  air  of  these  prophetic  symbols,  for  with  them  it 
is  "  the  word  of  (lod"  that  is  "sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword 
and  that  pierces"  even  to  the  severing  of  soul  and  body.  It  must 
be  admitted  then  that  the  prophetic  model  before  the  mind  has 
commanding  influence  in  shaping  the  style  and  expression  of 
writers  of  prophecy.     It  would  be  no  easy  task  to  draw  a  given 


EEVELATlON.-CIIAr.  XYIU.  203 

lino  and  say — So  far,  within  precisely  these  Jiniitations,  the  copy 
must  keep  to  its  ori;:ina].  llcncc  we  can  not  quite  say  that  John's 
description  of  the  fall  of  the  mystic  Babylon  must  be  kept  with 
precise  historic  accuracy  to  the  sense  of  the  prophecies  of  old 
l>abylon  as  intcrpretc<l  by  history.  Some  latitude  is  admissible 
(who  can  say  precisely  how  much?)  within  which  the  second 
liabylon — this  of  John — may  vary,  in  the  mode  of  its  decline  and 

fall,  from  the  type  of  the  first. And  here  let  no  one  exclaim 

a;j;ainst  all  prophecy  as  too  indeliii..te  to  be  reliable  or  in  anywise 
useful.  Let  him  rather  say — It  behooves  us  to  study  carefully  its 
laws  and  its  usance,  and  to  look  rather  for  general  than  for  en- 
tirely specific  correspondence  between  prophecy  and  its  fulfilling 
history.  A  general  correspondence  between  this  prophecj'  of  the 
fitU  of  this  second  IJabjdon  and  the  fall  of  the  first  Uabylon  as 
verified  in  history,  we  do  undeniably  find.  The  Kome  of  the  time 
of  John  was  in  fact  blighted  and  scathed,  tortured  and  smitten ; 
her  imperial  power  broken;  her  idolatrous  influence  crushed  out; 
iier  persecuting  terrors  quenched  in  (Jod's  own  way,  by  judgments 
which  might  well  make  every  ear  tingle  and  every  heart  quail. 
A  city  called  K(mie  is  indeed  standing  now,  nearly  on  the  site  of 
that  Kome  of  old  ;  but  is  it  the  same  city — imperial  now  as  then? 
mistress  of  the  nations  now  as  then?  deifying  her  emperors  and 
compelling  Christians  to  bo\v  before  her  idolatrous  military  stand-  • 
ards  now  as  tlicn  ?  persecuting  with  fire  and  sword,  with  exile  and 
torture,  now  as  then?  Koi  at  all!  This  Ivomo  and  tliat  have 
nothing  in  common  but  the  name.  The  old  Kome  of  the  age  of 
John,  the  Rome  that  sat  on  the  seven-headed  and  ten-horned  beast, 
has  been  politically  defunct  fifteen  centuries.  The  Babylon  of 
Jeremiah  and  the  Tyre  of  Ezekiel  are  not  more  certainly  dead 
and  gone  tlian  the  second  Babylon  and  the  second  Tyre  of  the 
Apocalypse — assuming  these  symbols  to  allude  precisely  to  the 
Kome  of  the  age  of  Nero  in  her  prominent  and  special  character- 
istics— world-wide  supremacy;  social  and  political  power  conse- 
crated to  idolatry  and  to  bloody  persecution.  Whatever  may  be 
true  of  what  is  now  called  Kome,  that  ol<l  Kome  has  long  since 
drunk  from  the  hand  of  the  Great  God  of  Providence  the  cup  of 
iiis  indignation.  Tlie  nations  that  were  in  her  vsympathy  long  ago 
sang  their  requiem,  or  rath(!r  poured  out  their  wail  of  grief  over 
her  irretrievable  fall  !     No  such  Kome  has   been   known   in  the 

world's  history  for  long  ages. My  conclusion  therefore  is  that 

the  objections  in  question  are  i-ather  plausible  than  real;  that 
they  rest  on  assumptions  not  borne  out  by  the  law.s  and  usages  of 
scripture  prophecy;  and  largely  on  the  fallacy  of  confounding  the 
Kome  of  John's  age  with  the  city  called  Kome  to-day.  Overruling 
such  objections  as  irrelevant  and  not  sustained,  1  accept  the  ap- 
[ilication  of  these  prophecies  of  the  mystic  Babylon  to  Fagtin 
Kome. 


204  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XIX. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Thia  chapter  is  in  two  principal  parts;  vs.  3-10  presenting 
chiefly  the  exultation  in  heaven  over  the  judgment  of  the  great 
liarlot  city  and  the  consequent  success  of  the  gospel  in  the  re- 
demption of  souls  from  sin  and  the  preparation  of  the  bride  for 

the  marriage  of  the  Lamb. Vs.  11-21  give  us  the  great  moral 

battle-field  of  time,  seen  in  a  sort  of  heavenly  perspective,  on  the 
principle  that  the  great  moral  events  of  earth  have  their  proto- 
types in  heaven.  A  mighty  Conqueror  on  the  white  horse  of  vic- 
tory appears  armed  for  battle  and  conquest ;  his  faithful  warrioa'S 
follow  him,  they  too  an-ayed  in  robes  of  purity  and  seated  on  white 
horses,  in  like  manner  symbolic  of  victory.  Anticipating  immense 
carnage,  an  angel  summons  all  the  fowls  of  mid-heaven  to  feast 
upon  the  flesh  of  the  slain.  The  battle  seems  about  to  be  joined, 
but  the  foes  of  this  Conqueror  are  powerless;  there  is  no  conflict; 
forthwith  the  beast  and  his  false  prophet  are  violently  seized  and 
cast  alive  into  the  lake  of  fire.  AH  their  dupes  and  followers  are 
slain  with  the  great  sword  of  the  mighty  Conqueror,  and  his  vic- 
tory is  complete. 

1.  And  after  these  things  I  heard  a  great  voice  of  much 
people  in  heaven,  saying,  Alleluia ;  Salvation,  and  glory, 
and  honor,  and  power,  unto  the  Lord  our  God  ; 

2.  For  true  and  righteous  are  his"  judgments ;  for  he 
hath  judged  the  great  whore,  which  did  corrupt  the  earth 
with  her  fornication,  and  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his 
servants  at  her  hand. 

3.  And  again  they  said,  Alleluia.  And  her  smoke  rose 
up  for  ever  and  ever. 

Slight  and  not  specially  important  textual  con-ections  in  v.  1 
insert  "as  it  were"  before  "great  voice;"  omit  "and  honor;" 
and  give  us  instead  of  "unto  the  Lord  our  God,"  simply  "of 
our  God,"  so  that  the  verse,  improved,  would  read,  "After 
this  I  heard  as  it  were  a  great  voice  of  a  vast  multitude  in 
beaven,  saying,  Alleluia!  the  salvation  and  the  glory  and  the  power 
of  God  !  "  This  I  take  to  be  an  exclamation  of  adoring  wonder, 
testifying  that  the  salvation  and  the  glory  and  the  power  of  our 

God  have  received  sublime  and  glorious  manifestations. For 

his  predicted  judgments  have  been  proved  true  by  their  fulfillment, 
and  also  just  in  their  very  nature  in  view  of  the  hon-ible  guilt 
of  the  great  harlot  who  made  the  earth  rotten  with  moral  cor- 
ruption and  herself  drunk  with  the  blood  of  martyred  saints,  now- 
avenged  by  the  R'ghtcous  Judge!  Again,  they  cry,  Alleluia! 
The  reader  will  recognize  this   as   the  Greek  equivalent  of  the 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XIX.  205 

Hebrew  Halloliijah,  ■which  means,  Praise  ye  Jah,  i.  c,  Jcliovah,  the 

Loi'd. "And  her  smoke  rose  up,"  witnessing  to  the  judgments 

of  the  great  and  righteous  God  upon  her,  and  seeming  to  imply 
that  this  testimony  to  her  righteous  doom  was  before  the  very  eyes 
of  the  adoring  and  grateful  worshipers.  They  accepted  this  judg- 
ment of  God  on  the  corrupt  and  bloody  harlot  as  righteous  and 
glorious  and  as  a  call  for  grateful  thanksgiving  because  they  felt 
its  justice;  they  knew  its  necessity  for  the  progress  and  triumph 
of  the  gospel  of  salvation   and  for  the  honor  and   stability  of  the 

throne  of  the  Almighty. Do  not  scenes  occur  in  human  affairs 

which  testify  that  murderers  ovff/i(  to  die,  that  rebels  and  rebellion 
must  go  down  ere  peace  and  order  and  law  can  reign  ? 

4.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  four  beasti? 
fell  down  and  worshiped  God  tliut  .«at  on  the  throne,  say- 
ing, Amen ;  Alleluia, 

Here  as  in  cliapters  4  and  5  these  representative  personages 
appear,  testifying  to  their  intense  sympathy  in  the  scenes  now 
transpiring. 

5.  And  a  voice  carae  out  of  the  throne,  saymg,  Praise 
our  God,  all  ye  his  servants,  and  ye  that  fear  him,  both 
small  and  great. 

6.  And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude, 
and  as  tlie  voice  of  many  waters,  aiid  as  the  voice  of  mighty 
thunderings,  saying.  Alleluia  :  for  tlie  Lord  God  omnipotent 
reigneth. 

It  is  not  said  who  uttered  this  voice,  only  that  it  seemed  to  come 
forth  from  the  very  throne  of  God.  It  summoned  all  the  servants 
of  God  to  one  united  utterance  of  praise,  and  every  heart  responded! 
The  revelator  heard  what  seemed  the  shout  of  a  countless  host, 
like  the  deep  roar  of  the  great  ocean  and  as  the  reverberation  of 
mighty  thunderings — and  their  cry  was,  "Praise  Jehovah!  for  the 
Lord  our  God,  the  Omnipotent,  has  begun  to  reign  !  "  The  Greek 
tense  used  here  [the  aorist]  seems  strictly  to  mean,  not  the  pres- 
ent— he  reigneth  now ;  and  not  exclusively  the  past — he  has 
reigned;  but  he  has  entered  upon  his  promised  reign  and  there- 
fore may  be  expected  henceforward  to  maintain  his  sway,  and  go 
on  conquering  and  to  conquer  till  every  foe  shall  have  fallen  and 
his  conquest  of  the  world  shall  be  complete.  The  nature  of  this 
reign  should  be  studied  in  connection  with  those  passages  which 
declare — "Ail  power  is  given  to  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth" 
(Matt.  28  :  18).  "  There  be  some  standing  here  who  shall  not  taste 
of  death  till  they  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  his  kingdom" 
(Matt.  16  :  28).  "  He  shall  reign  till  he  hath  put  all  enemies  un- 
der his  feet"  (1  Cor.  15  ;  25).  See  notes  on  licv.  11  :  15,  17,  and 
.2:  10. 


206  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XIX. 

7.  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honor  to  him  : 
for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  ard  hi«  wife  hath 
made  herself  ready. 

8.  And  to  her  was  granted  that  she  should  be  arrayed 
in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white :  for  the  fine  linen  is  the 
righteousness  of  saints. 

9.  And  he  saitli  unto  me,  AVrite,  Blessed  are  they  which 
ai-e  called  unto  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  And  he 
fc'aith  unto  me,  These  are  the  true  sayings  of  God. 

The  reader  will  not  fiiil  to  notice  the  tacit  bvit  close  relation 
between  the  fall  of  the  harlot  city,  Kome,  and  the  triumphant  suc- 
cess of  the  gospel  in  bringing  forth  its  fruits — a  holy  people  pre- 
pared of  God  through  grace  to  be  the  bride  of  the  Lamb,  ller 
moral  and  spiritual  pvcparation,  her  purity  and  her  intrinsic  moral 
beauty  are  more  prominent  here  than  the  nuptial  scene.  There  ia 
no  attempt  to  describe  the  marriage  itself  or  the  great  marriage- 
supper,  farther  than  to  say — Blessed  are  they  whose  pure  hearts 
insure  their  being  invited  and  made  welcome  !  Then  let  it  evei*- 
more  be  our  first  care  and  endeavor  to  be  clad  in  that  fine  linen, 
radiant  and  pure  ;  for  to  this  tlie  strain  of  our  jiassage  would  ex- 
hort us. Note  also  that  while  tlie  first  allusion  makes  promi- 
nent the  Christian's  own  moral  agency — "his  wife  hath  77iade  her- 
self ready" — yet  as  if  to  guard  against  overdoing  tliat  thought,  it 
is  subjoined,  "It  was  ffivcn  to  her"  (through  God's  free  grace) 
"that  she  should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen" — which  means  the 
righteousness  of  saints,  and  of  which  Paul  has  said  with  equal 
pertinence,  truth  and  beauty — "  not  having  mine  own  righteous- 
ness which  is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith  of 
Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith  "  (Phil.  3  :  9). 

"And   he  said."     Who  is  this  ^'  he?"     Manifestly  the  same 

personage  who  describes  himself  in  v.  10,  practically  an  angel- 
interpreter  wdiose  mission  Avas  to  stand  by  the  revelator  John  in 
his  visions;  sometimes  to  explain,  and  sometimes  as  here  to  sug- 
gest what  should  be  written  for  the   edification  of  the   churches; 

lie  now  directs  John  to  write   two  things:   first,  Blessed  arc 

those  who  are  called  to  this  marriage-supper;  and  secondly,  that 
these  words  of  God  are  true  and  that  events  now  about  to  happen, 
or  at  least  to  be  revealed,  Avould  abundantly  attest  their  truth.  1 
assume  that  the  statement  does  not  merely  aflirm  in  general  that 
all  God's  words  are  true,  nor  in  particular  that  these  are,  but  moi"e 
than  this — that  tlieir  truth  will  be  nuide  gloriously  plain  and  most 
undeniably  evident  in  the  events  about  to  occur.  When  you 
come  to  this  great  marriage-supper  you  Avill  see  iiow  true  it  is 
that  the  invited  guests  gathered  there  are  blessed ! 

10.  And  I  fell  at  his  feet  to  worship  him.  And  he  said 
UDto  me,  See  thou  do  it  not :  I  am  thy  fellow-servaut,  and 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XIX.  207 

of  tliy  brethren  that  have  the  te.stimony  of  Jesus :  worshij) 
God :  for  tlie  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 

A  similar  scene  is  narrated  in  chap.  22 :  6-9,  where  again  Jolm 
fell  down  to  Avorship  before  the  feet  of  the  reveahng  angel.  licniark- 
ubly  the  antecedents  also  were  the  same  there  as  here — thrilling 
promises :  there,  the  blessedness  of  him  who  keeps  the  projihecies 
of  this  book,  as  here,  of  those  called  to  the  marriage-supper; 
coupled  also  with  a  like  averment;  there,  "These  sayings  are 
faithful  and  true;  "  as  here,  "These  are  the  true  sayings  of  (Jod." 
Deeply  we  may  suppose  John  felt  their  truth  and  most  intensely 
did  he  appreciate  the  blessedness  promised;  and  therefore  in  the 
warmth  and  fullness  of  his  soul,  perhaps  scarcely  conscious  what 
he  did,  and  possibly  assuming  that  his  own  Lord  Jesus  was  con- 
cealed beneath  the  form  of  this  revealing  angel,  he  offered  him 
such  worship  as  "was  appropriate  only  to  one  truly  divine.  'J'he 
angel  cheeked  him  in  both  cases  with  the  same  words: — "Take 
care  twt ;  "  Beware  not  to  do  that  thing;  "for  I  am  [only]  a  fel- 
low-servant of  tiiyself  and  of  thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony 
of  Jesus."  It  should  be  noticed  that  in  llcv.  22:  9  we  have  lan- 
guage slightly  different,  yet  in  sense  doubtless  the  same — "A  fel- 
low-servant of  thyself  and  of  .thy  brethren  the   prophets,  and  of 

them  Avho  keep  the   sayings  of  this  book;    worship   God." A 

question  will  arise  here  in  some  minds — more  curious  than  useful 
— viz.,  wlicthcr  this  revealing  angel  were  not  some  departed  saint — 

Moses,  Elijah  or  perhaps  Isaiah. To  this  I  reply  briefly: — (1.) 

Nothing  is  said  here  at  all  inconsistent  with  the  assumption  that 
he  is  simply  one  of  the  holy  angels  of  the  heavenly  world,  for  they 
are  not  only  intensely  interested  but  actually  em]iloycd  in  diverse 

ministrations  of  service  for  Cod's  people  on  earth  (Heb.  i  :  12). 

(2.)  This  book  of  Revelation  is  full,  in  every  chapter  and  almost 
every  verse,  of  these  ministrati(ms  of  the  real  angels — not  glorified 
saints  from  earth,  but  those  elder  brethren  of  ours,  evermore  sin- 
less— always  ready  to  minister  with  glad  heart  in  any  way  to  the 
work  of  (liod  and  of  Jesus  Christ  in  this  world.  There  is  tlvere- 
fore  the  strongest  presumption  that  this  one  belongs  to  the  same 

class. (3  )  There   is   nothing  else   in   the   Bible  which  at  all 

favors  the  idea  that  departed  saints  come  back  to  us  in  positive 
n"inistries  of  service.  Moses  and  Elijah  appeared  with  Jesus 
transfigured  on  the  mount  and  talked  with  him  there;  but  this 
was  no  ordinary  ministry  of  service  to  the  saints,  and  is  the  oidy 
recorded  case  in  which  they  appear  on  earth  as  having  comi; 
down  from  heaven.  1  conclude  tiierefiirc  that  there  is  no  valid 
gro>ind  for  this  opinion  and  consequently  must  regard  it  as  a 
fancy  better  served  in  its  rejection  than  by  its  indulgence. 

The  last  clause  of  the  verse  demands  our  attention,  "  For  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy.''     What  does  this 

mean?  and  why  is  it  said  just  here? Our  received  translaticm 

prccisi'ly  represents  the  original  (Ireck  botli   iu  the  words  them- 


208  EEVELATION. -CHAP.  XIX. 

solves  and  iu  tlicir  consecutive  order. The  first  question  is— 

Which  is  the  subject  of  the  verb,  "  The  testimony  of  Jesus,"  or 
"The  spirit  of  prophecy?"  Tliat  is,  Docs  tlie  speaker  mean  that 
testifying  for  Jesus  involves  and  includes  the  spirit  of  prophecy, 

or  that  prophecy  in  its  true  spirit  testifies  of  Jesus? Some  have 

preferi'ed  the  latter  construction,  referrins;  it  to  the  fact  that  the 
Old  Testament  prophets  witnessed  abundantly  to  the  then  future 
Messiah,  and  that  the  same  spirit  of  prophecy  had  yet  more  to  say 
of  the  future  glories  of  his  kingdom.  J]ut  unless  there  be  some 
very  good  reason,  the  Avords  should  be  taken  in  the  order  in  which 
they  stand,  the  subject  of  the  verb  before  it,  and  the  predicate  after. 
This  consideration  bears  against  the  construction  last  named.  The 
natural  order  is  admissible  here  and  is  therefore  preferable;  and 
furthermore,  it  seems  to  me  to  have  a  better  logical  connection 
with  what  precedes;  thus,  1  am  a  fellow-servant  of  thyself  and 
also  of  all  the  old  prophets.  Thou,  they  and  myself  have  this  in 
common,  that  we  are  witnesses  for  Christ,  and  this  witnessing  in- 
volves the  spirit  of  prophecy,  /i'hey  (the  old  prophets)  testified 
prophetically  about  Christ;  thou  and  myself  are  now  witnessing 
for  Christ  by  predicting  his  future  glories  and  triumphs.  Thus 
we  are  all  fellow-servants,  doing  a  common  work  for  om-  common 
^Master.  I  therefore  take  this  clause  to  mean,  not  that  all  prophecy 
in  the  true  spirit  of  it  testifies  about  Christ,  but  that  the  witnessing 
for  Christ  by  all  the  parties  'here  contemplated  had  the  common 
element  of  being  prophetic.  Hence  the  parties  were  brethren. 
This  accounts  for  the  logic  indicated  by  the  word -"/or" — ''''for 
the  testimony  of  Jesus,"  etc. 

11.  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  behold  a  Avliite  horse; 
and  he  that  sat  upon  him  was  called  Faithful  and  True, 
and  in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make  war. 

12.  His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his  head 
ivere  many  crowns ;  and  he  had  a  name  written,  that  no 
man  knew,  but  he  liimself. 

13.  And  he  loas  clothed  with  a  vesture  dipped  in  blood  : 
and  his  name  is  called  The  Word  of  God. 

Assuming  that  chaps.  4-19  of  this  book  present  two  great  per- 
secuting powers — Judaism,  represented  by  Jerusalem,  and  Pagan- 
ism, seen  in  old  Home — it  is  noticeable  that  the  prophetic  scenes 
close  here  as  they  began  in  the  first  seal  (G  :  2),  with  like  s^-mbols 
of  victory  for  the  heavenly  Conqueror: — there,  a  white  horse  with 
his  crowned  rider,  marching  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer; 
here,  the  same  white  horse  of  victory,  his  rider  the  fiiithful  and 
the  true;  on  his  head  many  crowns,  and  his  name  ''The  word  of 
God  " — the  deep  significance  of  which  none  save  himself  could  fully 
comprehend.  Comparing  the  two  descriptions,  Ave  see  that  this 
(as  it  should  be)  is  far  more  expanded  and  more  magnificent. 
Svery  feature  here  signifies  tluit  this  conquering  Hero  is  the  Great 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XIX.  200 

Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  now  thoiivlit  of  as  ^oing  forth,  in  symbol 
at  least,  to  the  final  and  consiuiiiiiatin;^;  oonllict  witli  his  enemies. 
It  was  pre-cniinently  impressive  that  he  was  clad  in  raiment 
"dijipcd  in  lilood,"  the  l'ore<roini;  typo  of  wliieh  wo  find  in  Isa. 
03  :  1-G :  "  Why  art  thou  red  in  tliine  apparel,  and  thy  garments 
as  he  that  treadeth  the  wine-press  ?  1  have  trodden  the  wine-presa 
alone,"  etc.  The  last  clause  of  v.  15  renders  it  the  more  sure  that 
the  scene  pictured  in  Isa.  63  gives  tlie  shading  to  this  representa- 
tion: "he  himself"  (i.  e.,  he  alone)  "treadeth  the  wine-press,"  etc. 
Hence  the  vesture  dipped  in  blood  does  not  refer  here  to  his  own 
blood  shed  for  sin,  but  to  the  blood  of  his  enemies  shed  in  his 
retributions  of  justice  in  their  destruction.  They  are  here  in  sym- 
bol the  vintage,  and  he  treads  them  down  in  the  great  wine-vat  of 
Cod's  righteous  retribution. 

14.  And  the  armies  which  were  in  heaven  followed  him 
npon  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and  clean. 

15.  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sAvord,  that 
with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations ;  and  he  shall  rule  them 
with  a  rod  of  iron  :  and  he  treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the 
fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty  God. 

IG.  And  he  hath  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name 
written,  KING  OF  KINGS,  AND  LORD  OF  LOKDS. 

The  armies  that  followed  him  in  heaven  seem  clad  for  an  ova- 
tion, not  for  a  battle ;  for  a  grand  triumphal  procession  rather  than 
for  a  bloody  campaign,  or  even  for  one  hard-fought  field  of  car- 
nage. Indeed  it  docs  not  appear  that  they  come  into  the  real 
figiit  at  all.  The  sharp  sword  from  the  month  of  the  Almighty 
Chieftain  seems  to  do  all  the  execution.  Coupled  with  this  we  are 
told  below  that  some  violent  force  (so  the  Greek  word  "  taken," 
v.  20,  implies)  seized  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  and  hurled 
them  headlong  into  the  lake  of  fire.  Thus  the  fighting  is  repre- 
sented ;  so  it  is  conducted,  and  so  it  terminates.  But  tlie  showing 
sets  forth  that  "the  armies  in  heaven"  are  in  heart  with  their  con- 
quering King,  and  are  permitted  to  follow  in  his  train  in  this 
prospective  triumph  over  the  fallen  enemies   of  God  and  of  the 

kingdom  of  his  Son. "The  sword  of  his  mouth,"  coupled  with 

his  significant  name,  "  The  woj'd  of  God,"  must  be  understood  to 
imply  that  his  word  is  power — that  it  is  his  high  prerogative  to 
"speak  and  it  is  done,"  his  expressed  Avill  seeming  to  execute  it- 
self in  resistless  power  upon  liis  foes.  No  conception  of  absolute 
power  comes  up  at  all  to  this — the  sword  from  his  mouth  smiting 
the  nations — executing  his  high  behests  of  judgment  and  destruc- 
tion with   a  majesty  all  wortiiy  of  a  God,  and  with  a  sway  that 

mortals  would  strive  in  vain  to  resist. This  "  ruling  with  a  rod 

of  iron"  imitates  l*s.  2,  where  the  drift  of  thought  is  essentially 
the  same  as  here,  the  iMessiah  a  second  David,  resistless  in  arma, 
subduing  the  nations  of  his  foes  to  his  scepter As  said  above, 


210  EEVELATIOX.  -CIIAr.  XIX. 

"trcadino;  the  winepress,"  etc.,  follows  the  figures  and  the  thought 

of  Jsa.  03:   1-6. Tlie  second  name   is   symbolic   of  victorious 

power  and  of  his  relations  as  sole  Monarch  above  all  the  kings 
of  the  earth.  The  first  name,  '"The  word  of  God,"  looks  usually 
rather  to  the  nature  of  his  mission  from  heaven  to  earth — his  great 
ftinction  as  the  Kevealer  of  God  to  men — though  in  this  connection 
it  may  tacitly  include  that  marvelous  power  which  goes  with  those 
uttered  mandates  denouncing  judgments  upon  his  foes. 

17.  And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in  the  sun  ;  and  lie 
cried  Avlth  a  loud  voice,  saying  to  all  the  fowls  that  fly  in 
the  midst  of  heaven,  Come  and  gather  your.?elves  together 
unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God ; 

18.  That  ye  may  eat  the  flesh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh 
of  captains,  and  the  flesh  of  mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of 
horses,  and  of  them  that  sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all 
men,  both  free  and  bond,  both  small  and  great. 

This  is  the  genius  of  lofty  poetry.  It  does  not  prosaically  locate 
the  battle-field,  map  out  the  movements  of  the  contending  armies, 
and  number  the  fallen  dead,  but  promptly  assumes  the  fact  of 
awful  carnage,  and  summons  the  fowls  of  heaven  (vultures,  buz- 
zards) to  gather  to  one  grand  festival  upon  the  carcasses  of  the 

slain. In  the  last  clause  of  v.  17  the  improved  text  gives  us, 

not  "  the  supper  of  the  great  God,"  but  "  the  great  supper  of  God," 
the  one  great  festival  which  his  terrible  judgments  have  provided — 
one  above  all  the  rest  in  vastness.  The  passage  imitates  Ezekiel 
3y  in  the  point  of  setting  forth  the  vastness  of  the  slaughter  and 
the  terrors  of  this  retribution  as  measured  by  the  masses  of  the 
dead.  In  poetic  conception  far  more  grand  than  Ezekiel's,  John 
hears  all  flesh-devouring  birds  from  under  the  vv'hole  heaven  sum- 
moned to  hold  high  carnival  on  the  flesh  of  the  slain. 

19.  And  I  saw  the  beast,  and  the  kings  of  the  eartli,  and 
tlieir  armies,  gathei'ed  together  to  make  war  against  him 
that  sat  on  the  horse,  and  against  his  army. 

20.  And  the  beast  Avas  taken,  and  with  him  the  false 
prophet  that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he 
deceived  them  that  had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast, 
and  them  that  worshiped  his  image.  These  both  were  cast 
alive  into  a  lake  of  fire  burning  with  brimstone. ' 

The  l)cast — the  imperial  power  of  old  Rome,  and  the  kings — 
i.  «.,  his  horns,  for  they  specially  represent  the  kings  of  the  earth 
(17:  12-14),  gather  with  their  armies  for  this  great  and  final 
battle  against  hiin  who  sat  on  the  white  horse  and  his  army.  As 
remarked  already,  they  gathered  for  battle,  but  not  one  feature  of 
a  battle  appears  in  this  grand  panorama.     As  usual  where  weak 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XIX.  211 

mortals  think  to  lii:;lit  apilnst  God,  they  never  set  beyond  mar- 
Bhalin;:;  their  hosts  and  iiianiCcsting  their  good  will  to  fight: — then 
all  suddenly  they  are  qucnciied  as  burnt  tow.  Nothing  appears 
but  mountain  masses  ot"  their  I'allen  dead,  and  the  gathered  fowls 

of  heaven  feasting  upon  their  putrid  flesh. As  said  above,  the 

beast  and  the  false  prophet  arc  hurled  living  down  into  the  lake 
of  fire.  So  the  vision  represents  it. The  first  step  in  the  ex- 
position of  this  symbol  is  to  trace  it  to  its  source.  1  see  no  reason 
to  doubt  that  we  find  this  in  the  doom  of  the  fourth  beast  of 
Daniel  (7:  11);  "I  beheld  till  the  beast  was  slain  and  his  body 
destroyed  and  given  to  the  burning  flame,"  i.  e.,  cast  into  a  furnace 
of  fire — the  foregoing  type  of  which  as  it  stands  in  Daniel  must  be 
found  in  that  terrible  mode  of  capital  punishment  practiced  in 
cruel  Babylon  as  may  be  seen  in  Dan.  3.  The  symbol  thus  traced 
to  its  historic  source  must  be  held  to  signify  an  utter  destruction, 
inflicted  under  the  righteous  retributions  of  the  Almighty,  and 
liringing  to  a  final  end  their  power  on  earth  to  harm  the  people 

and  the  cause  of  God. If  now  the  question  be  raised    hero. 

What  precisely  does  this  mean  ?  Is  this  simply  an  utter  destruc- 
tion of  an  empire,  an  organized  persecuting  power  and  a  vile 
iilolatrous  priesthood ;  or  is  it  the  sending  down  to  hell  of  the 
incorrigible  sinners  whose  life   is  here  portrayed;  or  is  it  both, 

and  the  former  considered  as  foreshadowing  the  latter? For 

many  reasons  I  must  adopt  the  latter  interpretation,  this  being  the 
current  strain  of  numerous  Old  Testament  passages  which  must 
Ije  assumed  to  be  present  here  to  the  prophets  mind;  e.  g.  "  The 
wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell,  and  all  the  nations  that  forget 
God"  (Ps.  9:  17).  "The  wicked  is  driven  away  in  his  ■wicked- 
ness" (Prov.  14  :  32).  "Sodom  and  Gomorrah  are  set  forth  as  an 
example,  suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire"  (.Jude  7).  When 
the  Assyrian  host  fell,  sinners  in  Zion  were  afraid,  not  merely  of 
such  a  death,  but  of  that  far  more  fearful  one  bevond;  for  they 
cried — "  Who  among  us  shall  dwell  with  the  devouring  fire  ?  Who 
among  us  shall  dwell  with  the  everlasting  burnings?"  (Isa.  33: 

14.)     8o  also  Mai.  4:  1-3. So  here  the  judgments  sent  on  the 

wicked  in  this  world  arc  precursors  of  the  wrath  to  come  :    the 

former  are  the  prelude  and  pledge  of  the  latter. In  Kev.  20 : 

10  we  see  the  devil  cast  into  the  same  lake  of  fire;  but  certainly 
this  could  not  have  meant  that  he  was  simply  to  have  his  worldly 

fower  broken  as  the  imperial  scepter  of  old  Kome  was  broken, 
his  being  bound  Avith  a  great  chain  (20  :  1-3)  had  accomplished 
that  object] ;  nor  that  he  was  to  suffer  a  violent  death  after  the 
manner  of  wicked  men ;  but  must  have  meant  that  God  would 
Bend  him  actually  to  "  his  own  place  " — the  eternal  prison-house 
of  woe  whither  according  to  this  showing  the  beast  and  the  false 

prophet  had  already  gone. In  the  first  clause  of  v.  20  the  most 

approved  reading  means  moi-e  than  that  the  false  prophet  was 
taken  up  with  the  beast  and  both  cast  into  the  lake  together. 
This  reading  inserts  the  Greek  words  for  "with  him"  between  the 


212  REVELATION.-CILVr.  XIX. 

article  and  the  noun  in  the  phrase  "  the  false  prophet " — making 
it  "The  [with  him]  false  prophet" — a  construction  which  the 
iilioni  of  our  tonijiiue  will  not  admit,  but  the  sense  of  which  may 
be  given  thus :  The  beast  was  seized  and  the  one  with  him,  viz., 
the  false  prophet,  etc.  This  shows  how  intimately  associated  to- 
gether the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  were.  The  latter  is  forcibly 
described  as  the  one  always  with  the  former,  his  subordinate,  his 
ever  faithful  servant,  always  ministering  to  his  vile  purposes, 
always   seducing    kings,  nations  and   people  to  worship  the  first 

beast. -These  were  cast,  not  "  into  a  lake  "  but  into  the  lake — 

the  well  known  prison-house  of  the  lost. 

21.  And  the  remnant  were  slain  with  the  sword  of  him 
tliat  sat  upon  the  horse,  which  sword  proceeded  out  of  his 
mouth :  and  all  the  fowls  wci'e  filled  with  their  flesh. 

Kemarkably  while  the  boast  and  the  false  prophet  were  repre- 
sented as  cast  bodily  and  violently  into  the  lake  of  lire,  the  remnant 
seem  to  have  stood  the  battle  although  they  did  not  fight,  and  were 
slain  with  the  sword  of  the  warrior  Chief — the  Great  Conqueror. 
8ee  the  explanation  of  this  symbol  above,  in  notes  on  vs.  14—16. 

Thus  closes  this  scene  of  the  final  destruction  of  the  beast  and 

of  his  false  prophet,  and  also  of  their  armies.  What  could  more  im- 
pressively show  that  Jesus  Christ  is  indeed  the  Glorious  Conqueror, 
"  mighty  to  save  ;  "  and  that  his  people,  suffering  however  severely 
under  bloody  persecution  or  in  the  fear  of  its  impending  storm, 
may  yet  be  most  sure  of  victory  for  Zion  in  the  result  and  at  no 
distant  day ;  sure  also  of  a  blissful  reward  if  they  are  called  to 
resist  unto  blood  and  to  lay  their  lives  down  for  Him  wdio  laid 
down  his  life  for  them  ?  Such  are  doubtless  the  great  moral 
lessons  which  these  revelations  made  to  the  seer  of  Patmos  sought 
to  impress. 

RESUME    OP    THE    AKGUMEXT. 

The  second  or  Roman  division  of  this  book  embracing  chap.  12- 
19  closes  here.  A  resume  of  the  argument  is  therefore  appropriate, 
setting  forth  briefly  why  I  find  Pagan  Rome  and  not  Papal  in  these 

chapters. The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  besides  the  great 

red  dragon — well  known  as  the  devil  and  Satan — whose  identity  we 
have  no  need  to  discuss — there  are  here  three  leading  personages, 
all  persecuting  enemies  of  God  and  of  his  people;  viz.  (1.)  The 
seven-headed  and  ten-horned  beast  from  the  sea  (13:  1-8);  (2.) 
Another  beast  said  to  be  "from  the  earth"  (13:  11-17),  bearing 
also  the  name  of  "the  fixlse  prophet"  (16:  13,  and  19:  20,  and 
20:  10);  (3.)  Another  personage  known  variously  as  "Babylon" 
md  "that  great  city"  (14:  8);  "great  Babylon"  (16:  19);  "the 
great  harlot  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters;'  "mother  of  harlots," 
etc.  (17  :  1-9,  15,  18)  and  ."  Babylon  the  great"  (18  :  1-24).  Under 
the  construction  given  above,  the  first  personage  is  the  imperial 


REVELATlON.-ClIAr.  XIX.  213 

power  of  Pagan  Rome.  The  second  is  the  pagan  priesthood, 
always  ministering  to  the  vital  forces  of  paganism  and  doing  the 
work,  well  known  to  the  Jews,  of  a  "false  prophet."     The  third  is 

the  city  of  Ancient  Rome. Other  conflicting  theories  find  Papal 

Rome  in  the  beast  from  the  sea  (No.  1);  or  in  the  beast  from 
the  land  (Xo.  2) ;  or  in  the  great  harlot  city,  the  mystic  Babylon 
(Xo.  3);  or  in  the  last  two  combined.  X^ow  the  reader  will  bear 
in  mind  carefully  that  these  three  personages  are  always  kept 
distinct  from  each  other.  The  first  beast,  the  one  from  the  sea 
(13:  1),  is  never  confounded  with  the  second  beast — he  from  the 
land  (13:  11),  alias  "the  folse  prophet;"  nor  are  either  of  these 
confounded  with  the  harlot  city,  JJabylon.  Consequently  this  dis- 
tinction should  be  duly  honored  in  our  interpretation. Again, 

let  it  be  noticed  that  all  these  personages  are  contemporary.  They 
are  all  upon  the  stage  of  action  at  one  and  the  same  time,  bearing 
definite,  positive  and  vital  relations  each  to  the  other.  The  second 
beast  always  ministers  to  the  first  and  of  course  must  be  on  hand 
at  the  same  time.  It  is  therefore  simply  preposterous  to  make  the 
first  beast  Pagan  Rome  and  the  second  Papal,  since  all  history 
witnesses  that  Pagan  Rome  died   long  before   Papal   Rome  was 

born. Again,  tlie  harlot  is  contemporary  with  them  both  ;  for 

she  sits  upon  and  is  borne  by  the  first  beast;  the  ten  horns  of 
the  first  beast  ultimately  "  hate  the  whore  and  make  her  desolate" 
(17  :  16).  These  mutual  and  chronological  relations  compel  us  to 
interpret  all  these  three  personages  as  contemporary.  Therefore 
if  either  of  them  is  Papal  Rome,  they  are  all  Papal  Rome,  and 
Pagan  Rome  is  not  here  at  all.  We  must  not  mutilate  and  distort 
history  to  help  out  a  favorite  theory.  Pagan  Rome  and  Papal 
Rome  arc  chronologically  centuries  asunder,  as  every  well  in- 
formed reader  will  admit  when  he  considers  that  these  personages 
(the  two  beasts  and  the  harlot  city)  are  each  and  all  here  as  great 
persecuting  powers  and  as  nothing  else.  Papal  Rome  was  not 
known  in  history  as  a  great  persecuting  power  until  far  down 
into  the  middle  ages,  say  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  century,  one 
thousand  years  after  the  age  of  Xero,  and  seven  or  eight  hundred 
years  after  the  last  persecutions  suffered  from  Pagan  Rome. 
Therefore  we  simply  outrage  both  history  and  prophecy  when  we 
make  some  one  or  more  of  these  three  personages  Pagan  Rome 
and  the  rest  Papal  Rome. 

The  great  question  of  interpretation  is  therefore  narrowed  down 
to  this  one  point — Fagan  Rome  versus  Papal.  Are  these  three  per- 
sonages of  chapters  13-19  all  Pagan  Rome  in  some  of  its  aspects, 

or  are  they  all  Papal? Let  us  bring  this  chief  question  to  the 

test  of  the  principles  of  interpretation  which  we  have  found  ap- 
plicable to  this  book  of  prophecy. 

1.  The  Pagan  Rome  system  keeps  loithin  the  lim,itations  of  time 
which  (Jod  himself  has  iixed  for  at  least  the  main  events  of  this 
biiok.  The  Papal  Rome  system  does  not,  Ijut  strides  on  far  be- 
yond them.     It  is   an  outrage  on  the  sense  of  words  to  say  that 


214  KEVELATIOX.-CIIAr.  XIX. 

events  seven  or  eiti;lit  hundred  or  one  thousand  j'ears  in  the  future 
are  "near  at  hand;"  "shortly  come  to  pass."  This  limitation  of 
time  admits   the   Pagan  Kome    system  with    perfect   facility.     ]t 

excludes  the  Papal  system  peremptorily. Xor  let  it  be  objected 

that  the  final  destruction  of  Pagan  Kome  was  remote,  for  it  began 
soon;  even  within  one  year  of  Nero's  death  three  emperors  had 
successively  mounted  the  throne  and  successively  fallen,  and  as 
Taylor  in  his  history  testifies,  "l\ome  appeared  on  the  very  brink 
of  ruin  from  the  madness  of  its  own  citizens  "  (p.  2GS). 

2.  The  Pagan  Home  system  corresponds  precisely  as  we  have 
seen  M'ith  the  interpretations  and  explanations  given  by  the  reveal- 
ing angel  himself  in  chap.  17,  where  the  seven  heads,  alias  kings, 
are  chronologically  located  and  almost  named.  It  corresponds 
also  with  the  identification  of  the  number  of  the  beast  (13  :  18) 

which  is  proved  beyond  all  reasonable  doubt  to  refer  to  Nero. 

All  these  divinely  given  explanations  equally  pi-eclude  the  Papal 

Roman  theory. Let  it  not   be   lightly  esteemed    that   in    this 

prophecy  we  have  vitally  important  landmarks  of  prophetic  inter- 
pretation in  the  form  of  well  defined  historic  dates  and  characters. 
Here  are  the  first  seven  kings  of  the  Julian  dynasty  :  the  prophetic 
finger  drops  definitely  on  the  first  one — the  head  which  received  a 
deadly  wound,  but  from  which  the  beast  himself  recovered  :  the 
sixth  also  as  the  one  then  reigning  is  pointed  out  most  precisely 
by  the  number  of  his  name  (13  :  8):  and  the  seventh  who  was  to 
"  continue  but  a  short  space  " — given  in  history  as  a  reign  of  seven 

months. Yet  again,  the  woman,  the  great  harlot,  shown  (17  :  18) 

to  be  "that  great  city  which  reigueth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth,'' 
can  not  possibly  he  any  other  than  Pagan  Home.  Her  location  on 
seven  mountains  (17  :  9)  coupled  with  her  world-wide  sway 
(17:18)  describe  Rome  precisely  and  describe  no  other  city 
known  to  John  or  to  his  first  readers.  Moreover,  her  relation  to 
the  seven  kings  (17:  7-11)  proves  this  beyond  all  rational  ques- 
tion.  This  woman  [great  city]  is  the  Babylon  of  14 :  8,  and  of 

16  :  19,  and  of  chap.  18.  These  points  of  identification  are  com- 
plete. They  leave  no  room  to  doubt  that  the  Rome  here  set  be- 
fore us  is  Pagan  and  not  Papal.  Such  identification  in  history  it 
were  the  extreme  of  unwisdom  to  ignore,  or  attempt  to  overrule. 

3.  The  Pagan  Rome  system  follows  the  Old  Testament  usage 
of  the  words  "abomination,"  "fornication,"  "harlot,"  etc.,  as  ap- 
plied to  the  woman  of  chap.  17,  giving  them  the  sense  of  Pagan 
idolatry;   while   the  Papal  Rome  system  fails  at  this  important 

point. 1  am  aware  that  whole  volumes   have  been  written   to 

show  that  Papal  Rome  is  as  truly  idolatrous  as  ever  Pagan  Rome 
was.  This  is  one  of  those  points  that  require  adroit  management 
to  make  it  even  plausible.  For  it  should  be  considered  that 
the  idol  systems  of  Western  Asia  and  of  Chaldca  in  the  age 
of  the  old  prophets  are  the  standard  and  model — the  central  ele- 
ment of  which  was,  the  actual  worship  of  ideal  beings,  supposed 
to  be  represented  under  visible  images,  as  really  Gods,  in  the  place 


liEVELATIOX.-CIIAP.  XIX.  215 

of  the  One.  Supreme.  Now  it  is,  as  I  think,  simply  shinder  to  say 
that  Papal  Kome  juirposely  sets  up  imaiics  as  (Jods  in  the  place 
of  Jeht)vah.  Slie  claims  that  her  I'ope  is  in  certain  respects  the 
vice-gerent  of  God;  but  she  does  not  set  him  up  as  God  and  above 
God,  as  an  antat^onist  claimant  of  divine  homage.  She  has  done 
wicked  thinfi^s  enontih,  for  -which  I  have  no  apology  to  make;  but 
let  us  not  breach  tlie  ninth  commandment  for  the  supposed  sake 

of  truth   and   ri^^hteousness,  to   carry  a  point  against  her. 1 

claim,  therefore,  that  the  harlotry  of  "  the  mother  of  abominations  " 
in  this  prophecy  demands  the  same  sort  of  idolatry  which  bears 
this  name  in  the  Old  Testament  prophecies,  and  therefore  apjilios 
precisely  to  the  heathenism  of  I'agan  Eome,  and  not  to  the  cor- 
ruptions of  Kome  Papal. 

4.  Applying  this  prophecy  to  Pagan  Rome  we  are  fully  in  har- 
mony with  the  obvious  moral  purpose  of  the  book,  viz.,  a  strong 
moral  impression  upon  its  first  readers — a  direct  and  most  pungent 
iipplicatiun  to  their  very  hearts,  their  personal  exporiences,  their 
intense  interest  in  the  divine  jutlgnients  vpo7i  their  oivn  pcj-seatfor.i. 

Put  the  Papal  Pome  theory  throws  the  event  here  referred  to 

far  beyond  the  utmost  range  of  their  knowledge,  and  assumes  that 
tlie  prophecy  must  have  been  to  them  mostly  unintelligible,  and  in 
80  far,  without  force  or  moral  value. 

5.  The  construction  of  chap.  18,  given  above,  obeys  that  law  of 
interpretation  Avhich  demands  that  we  follow  closely  the  usage 
of  the  Old  Testament  prophecies  which  are  manifestly  imitated 
here,  i.  e.,  which  were  before  the  prophet's  mind  and  were  the 
source  from  which  his  language  and  figures  were  borrowed.  Fol- 
lowing this  law,  I  find  a  close  analogy  between  old  Pabylon 
and  old  Tyre  on  the  one  hand,  and  this  new  mystic  Babylon  on 
the  other.  Under  the  demands  of  this  analogy  i  must  find  hero 
Pagan  Kome  and  not  Papal.  Pagan  Kome  was  like  those  old 
cities;  Papal  Kome  is  altogether  unlike  them. 

G.  Under  the  system  adopted  above,  the  seven  vials  of  chap.  IG 
represent  not  a  succession  of  dissimilar  and  dissociated  events, 
but  a  grouping  of  kindred  events  to  make  one  general  impression, 
all  being  preliminary  steps  or  premonitory  indications  of  the  im- 
pending doom  of  l*agan  Kome.  In  this  respect  these  vials  cor- 
respond to  the  seals  and  trumpets  in  the  former  part  of  the  book, 
and  this  construction  here  must  stand  or  fall  with  that.  In  this 
vital  feature  both  are  in  harmony  with  their  prototypes — the  horses 
of  Zech.  1  and  the  horses  aud  chariots  of  Zech.  0 ;  and  also  with 
.the  nature  of  the  case. 

7.  The  system  which  applies  these  great  symbols  to  Pagan  Kome 
p.rovides  amply  (as  the  true  system  must)  for  passing  over  by  analogy 
from  one  series  of  events  near  at  hand  to  other  analogous  events  far 
on  in  the  future.  Thus  from  the  fall  of  Kome  in  chap.  18  and  fj-om 
the  victory  and  triumph  of  the  Great  Conqueror  in  chap.  19,  we  pass 
over  to  the  final,  ci)nii)lete,  universal*victory  of  Jesus  ^lessiah  over 
all  his  foes — the  final  triumjih  over  Satan  and  all  his  armies.     In 


216  Revelation.— ciiAr.  xx. 

the  same  manner  we  applied  this  law  of  prophetic  analofry  in  the 
fall  of  Jerusalem  and  Judaism  at  the  close  of  chap.  11.  The  prin- 
ciple has  perhaps  a  yet  broader  sweep  here  in  chap.  19  and 
onward,  since  the  fivll  of  both  Jerusalem  and  Ivorae  are  here  before 
the  mind — the  basis  of  a  yet  more  conclusive  and  overwhelming 
inference  that  Jesus  will  surely  triumph  over  every  foe  and  come 
forth  the  supreme,  all-f^lorious  Conqueror ! 

8.  Finally,  it  should  be  decisive  in  favor  of  the  system  of  inters 
pretation  above  presented  that  it  keeps  within  the  limitations  of 
the  book  itself;  carefully  follows  the  landmarks  octane  and  place  ; 
honors  every  historic  allusion  which  the  book  itself  gives;  yields 
obedience  to  every  legitimate  principle  of  prophetic  interpretation  ; 
seeks  and  finds  the  guiding  clews  to  the  true  construction  within 
the  book  itself  and  within  tke  Old  Testament  prophecies  to  which 
this  book  refers  and  from  which  its  symbolism  is  borrowed,  and 
thus  relieves  the  interpreter  of  the  necessity  of  throwing  himself 
upon  the  broad  ocean  of  universal  history  to  find  something,  some- 
where, which  seems  to  correspond  with  or  can  be  made'to  resem- 
ble the  symbols  found  here.  The  confirmation  of  a  given  prophetic 
interpretation  by  fulfilling  history  is  in  place  only  after  a  faithful 
use  of  all  the  legitimate  principles  of  interpretation  has  really 
given  us  their  just  results.  That  is,  history  should  not  give  us  our 
system  of  interpretation ;  it  should  only  confirm  it.  To  ignore 
these  principles  and  to  launch  forth  in  the  outset  upon  fulfilling 
history  to  fill  out  some  preconceived  system  of  interpretation,  is 
the  fatal  vice  of  interpreters  of  prophecy.  I  have  sought  continu- 
ally to  avoid  this  method,  and  to  follow  only  those  principles  of 
interpreting  prophecy  which  are  legitimate,  reasonable,  impreg- 
nable. If  I  have  succeeded,  then  this  construction  will  commend 
itself  to  the  confidence  of  all  judicious  critics.  I  may  perhaps 
with  no  offence  to  Christian  modesty  say  that  it  respectfully  so- 
licits their  candid  consideration. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

New  scenes  open.  Nothing  is  said  to  indicate  how  ncarVn  time 
these  scenes  are  to  those  of  chapters  12-19,  which  give  us  judg- 
ments on  the  first  beast  and  the  second,  and  upon  the  harlot  city, 
and  also  the  consequent  joy  among  the  holy  in  heaven  and  the 
anticipated  triumph  of  King  Emmanuel  over  all  his  foes.  The 
only  obvious  connection  of  this  chapter  with  those  is  logic'al,  not 
chronological — a  connection  pf  thought,  not  of  time.  This  imme- 
diately foregoing  series  of  events,  commencing  with  chapter  12, 
opens  with  bringing  to  view  the  old  serpent,  called  the  Devil  and 


rvEVELATlON.-CIIAr.  XX.  217 

Satan.  lie  is  shown  to  be  the  prime  mover  and  arch  instij^ator 
of  all  the  persecutions  under  which  the  church  suffers.  He  beara 
a  m(;rtal  hatred  toward  the  Zion-iuotlicr  and  her  heaven-born  Son 
(chap.  12);  he  "gives  to  the  first  beast  his  power,  his  seat  and 
great  authority"  (13:  2);  he  perpetually  plies  liis  old  vocation — 
ii  liar  and  a  deceiver  from  the  beginning  (Jn.  8:  44,  and  1  Jn. 
3:  8);  sending  forth  "unclean  spirits  of  devils"  to  deceive  the 
kings  of  the  earth  (16:  13,  14).  So  these  chapters  present  him. 
If  we  can  not  say  that  he  fills  the  foreground  of  the  picture,  we 
can  at  least  see  that  he  pulls  the  wires  and  works  the  machinery ; 
his  agencies  underlie  every  movement  of  the  hostile  army  arrayed 
against  heaven's  king  and  people.  And  now  in  this  chapter  he 
appears  again,  to  receive  his  righteous  doom.  The  beast  and  the 
false  prophet  have  gone  to  their  own  place  (19 :  20)  ;  it  remains 
only  to  fini.sh  in  like  manner  the  history  of  "  the  great  red  dragon." 
This  chapter  gives  it  in  three  distinct  stages:  (1.)  He  is  bound, 
cast  into  the  abyss,  shut  up  and  a  great  seal  put  upon  his  prison 
gate  that  he  go  forth  to  deceive  the  nations  no  more  for  a  thousand 
years.  (2.)  Then  he  is  loosed  for  a  little  season  and  resumes  his 
old  work  of  deceiving  the  nations,  with  the  result  of  gathering  tliem 
for  one  grand  assault  upon  the  beloved  city  to  their  own  sudden 
and  utter  destruction.  Then  (3.)  he  is  hurlod  down  to  his  own 
place — the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone — to  his  destiny  of  woe  eter- 
nal.    This  closes   the   histtn-y  of  this  arch  tempter  of  our  race — 

this  fell  hater  of  CJod  and  of  all  goodness. Tlie  chapter  before 

us  touches  upon  three  other  grand  points  in  the  great  programme 
of  the  world's  history,  viz.,  the  joy  of  the  martyred  saints  during 
the  thou.sand  years  (vs.  4-6) ;  the  deceiving  of  the  remote  nations 
and  their  mustering  to  the  last  grand  assault  upon  the  holy  city 
(vs.  7-9);  and  the  final  judgment-scene  of  our  race  (vs.  11-15). 
These  momentous  acts  in  the  history  of  our  world  are  touched 
with  extreme  brevity,  yet  with  words  of  thrilling  power. 

1.  And  I  saw  an  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  having 
tlie  key  of  the  bottomle.ss  pit  and  a  great  chain  in  lii.s 
hand. 

2.  And  he  hiid  hohl  on  the  dragon,  that  okl  serpent, 
which  i.s  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thousand 
years, 

3.  And  cast  him  into  tlie  bottondess  pit,  and  shut  him 
up,  and  set  a  seal  u^jou  him,  that  he  should  deceive  the 
nations  no  more,  till  the  thousand  years  should  be  fulfilled: 
and  after  that  he  must  be  loo.sed  a  little  season. 

The  words,  "and  I  saw,"  are  in  constant  use  to  indicate  a  now 
<=cene  in  the  great  moving  panorama.     See  vs.  4,  11,  12,  and  21  : 

1,  etc. This  angel  had  a  key  with  which  to  open  and  also  to 

shut  the  abyss,  and  a  great  chain  for  binding  the  serponk     Obvi- 
ously the  conception  of  a  chain  corresponds  to  the  idea  of  a  ser* 
10 


218  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XX. 

pent — not  of  a  spiritual  agent,  "  the  spirit  that  now  wovketh  in  the 
children  of  disobedience."  llence  -we  must  accept  this  as  symbol, 
intended  simply  to  give  us  the  idea  of  restraint,  confinement — by 
what  precise  agencies  we  can  not  know  as  yet— agencies,  howevex", 
that  are  adequate  to  their  purpose  of  shutting  him  off  for  a  thou- 
sand years  from  his  satanic  work  of  deceiving  men  into  sin  and 

I'uin. The  view  given  here  of  the  agencies  of  Satan  upon  the 

minds  of  men  follows  that  which  appears  throughout  the  preced- 
ing chapters — "  dcceiveth  the  whole  world"  (12:  9);  "working" 
[pretended]  "miracles"  to  deceive  the  kings  of  the  earth  and 
gather  them  to  the  great  conflict  against  Almighty  God  (16:  13- 
10);  the  great  instigator  to  idolatry  and  to  bloody  persecution  of 
the  saints.  It  is  essentially  the  same  view  which  the  apostle  has 
put  in  the  words,  "  The  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the  children 
of  disobedience"  (Eph.  2  :  2),  giving  prominence  however  to  those 
aspects  of  his  work  which  stand  in  the  foreground  in  this  book — 

idolatry  and  persecution. This  restraint  upon  Satan  is  limited 

in  duration — a  thousand  years.  The  reader  will  not  need  to  be 
told  that  this  chapter  has  given  us  the  word  ^'■Millennium"  which 
means  a  period  of  a  thousand  years.  By  "  iAe  Millennium"  is 
meant  precisely  this  period  during  which  Satan  is  bound  and  shall 

not  deceive  the  nations. Will  it  be  literally  one  thousand  years, 

or  shall  it  be  taken  as  an  indefinitely  long  period  ? The  evidence 

for  deciding  this  question  must  come  from  two  sources: — (1.)  The 
scripture  usage  of  this  pdirase;   (2.)  The  light  of  other  scripture 

concerning   the   duration  of  this  period. (1.)   The  phrase  "a 

thousand  years"  occurs  three  times.  The  Psalmist  says  (90:  4), 
"  For  a  thousand  years  in  thy  sight  are  but  as  yesterday  when  it 
is  past" — meaning  not  precisely  twice  five  hundred,  but  a  long, 
indefinite  duration.  Peter  (2  Eps.  3:  8)  has  the  words,  "One  day 
is  with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  as  one 
day" — which  certainly  must  be  taken  in  the  long,  indefinite  sense. 
Solomon  (in  Eccl.  6  :  6)  has  the  same  usage :  "  Yea,  though  he  live 

a  thousand  years  twice  told,"  etc. 1  scarcely  need  refer  to  the 

fact  that  the  word  "thousand"  is  spoken  of  other  things  beside 
years  in  the  same  indefinite  sense :  "  A  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy 
side  and  ten  thousand  at  thy  right  hand;"  "The  cattle  on  a  thou- 
sand hills;"  "A  day  in  thy  courts  is  better  than  a  thousand,"  etc. 
The  usage  of  scripture  seems  therefore  to  be  decisive  for  the  in- 
definite sense. (2.)  So  also  is  the  doctrine  of  prophecy  in  re- 
gard to  the  duration  of  this  period  of  the  ultimate  prosperity  and 
triumph  of  Zion.  On  this  point  we  have  a  single  passage  which 
seems  to  be  explicit  and  decisive.  Isaiah  (54  :  7,  8)  puts  in  con- 
trast the  period  in  which  Zion  has  been  afflicted  and  not  comforted 
(in  the  large  sense)  with  this  period  of  her  joyful  prosperity; 
thus,  "For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee,  but  with  great 
mercies  will  I  gather  theo.  In  a  little  wrath  I  hid  myself  from 
tliee  for  a  moment,  but  with  everlasting  kindness  will  I  gather 
thee."     Here  the  "small  mjmeut"  in  which  Zion  has  been  com- 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XX.  219 

paratively,  relatively,  forsaken  stretches  tlirough  the  long  ages  be- 
fore Christ  came,  not  to  say  also  tliroiigh  tiie  Christian  centuries 
down  to  this  era  of  the  binding  of  Satan  and  the  joy  of  the  saints 
therein;  while  the  everlasting  Jdndness^  spanning  the  long  ages  of 
(lod's  mercy,  arc  put  into  this  thousand  years.  Is  it  then  possible 
that  these  thousand  j-cars  are  to  be  cut  sharply  down  to  ten  cen- 
turies? Can  ten  centuries  suffice  for  the  di.splay  of  ^^everlasting 
kindness"  over  against  six  or  seven  thousand  years  of  "  forsaking," 
which  relatively  to  this  thousand  j'eurs  are  only  "a  small  mo- 
ment?" ]\Iathematically  put,  Jf  six  thousand  j-ears  means  ''a 
small  moment,"  how  many  years  must  be  required  for  the  mani- 
festation of  '■'' everlasfuig  kindness?" For  aught  that  appears  it 

must  be  admitted  that  the  everlasting  kindness  of  God's  mercy  to 
his  Zion  is  precisely  this  IMillennium  of  John.     Who  shall  cut  it 

down  to  precisely  ten  hundred  common  years? It  ought  to  be 

added  that  the  standard  doctrine  of  Old  Testament  prophecy  is 
tinnly  of  this  sort:  "His  [Messiah's]  name  shall  endure  forever; 
his  name  shall  be  continued  as  long  as  the  sun;  and  men  shall  be 
blessed  in  him;  all  nations  shall  call  him  blessed"  (Pa.  72:  17). 
"The  Lord  shall  be  thine  everlasting  light,  and  the  days  of  thy 
mourning  shall  be  ended."  "  They  shall  inherit  the  land  forever, 
tlie  branch  of  my  plantins;,  the  work  of  my  hands,"  etc.  (Isa.  6U  : 
20,  21).  See  also  Jer.  31:  40,  and  Dan.  "7  :  14,  27,  and  ]\Iic.  4: 
7.     I  must  therefore  consider  it  certain  that  this  thousand  years 

should  be  taken  as  indefinite  and  very  long. Other  questions 

respecting  the  state  of  the  world  during  this  period  ;  the  preva- 
lence of  gospel  light;  the  standard  of  piety;  the  type  of  Christian 
civilization;  the  longevity  and  general  happiness  of  the  race,  will 
best  be  considered  after  the  subse(iuent  verses  shall  have  come 
liilly  before  us. 

4.  And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and 
judgment  was  given  unto  them  :  and  /  saiv  the  souls  of 
tliem  that  were  beheaded  ibr  the  witness  of  Jesus,  and 
for  the  word  of  God,  and  which  had  not  worshiped  the 
beast,  neither  his  image,  neither  had  received  his  mark 
upon  their  forelieads,  or  in  their  hands;  and  they  hved 
and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years. 

5.  But  the  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again  until  the 
thousand  years  were  finished.  This  -is  the  first  resurrec- 
tion, 

6.  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first 
resurrection :  on  such  the  second  death  hath  no  power,  but 
they  ,«hall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Clirist,  and  shall  reign 
with  him  a  thousand  years. 

Note  that  the  "thrones"  arc  put  iu  the  foreground,  the  first 
thing  seen. Who  are  they  that  sit  upon  them?    Undoubtedly 


220  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XX. 

the  souls  of  the  mnrtyrs  immediately  after  described — the  same 
wlio  "  reigned  Avith  Christ  a  thousand  years."    Their  exaltation  and 

blessedness  are  therefore  the  prominent  features  in  this  scene. 

'■'■Judgment  is  given  unto  them;  "  but  what  judgment  and  in  what 
sense?  The  words  taken  in  themselves  might  mean  and  have 
been  thought  by  some  to  mean  that  they  are  made  associate  judges 
with  Christ,  sitting  and   reigning  with  him   in   the   proper  literal 

sense. But  this  view  must  be  rejected  for  three  reasons;  (1.) 

The  natural  improbability,  not  to  say  impossibility,  of  their  per- 
forming this  function;  (2.)  The  fact  that  "reigning  with  Christ," 
as  we  shall  soon  see,  has  in  the  Scriptures  a  very  different  sense 
from  this,  viz.,  the  sense  of  rejoicing  in  his  joy,  of  being  fully 
blessed  and  highly  exalted  in  and  with  him;  (3.)  The  very  vital 
fact  that  these  souls,  here  seen  in  vision,  are  identically  the  same 
that  were  seen  under  the  altar  at  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal  (6 : 
9-11),  and  that  this  scene  is  closely  correlated  to  that.  There  the 
revelator  hears  them  cry,  "  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost 
thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  ?  "  etc.  Here  he  sees  their 
prayer  answered ;  the  judgment  they  prayed  for  is  given  them. 
Their  blood  has  been  judged  most  justly  and  avenged  most  fear- 
fully upon  their  guilty  murderers. The  reader  will  note  care- 
fully that  these  souls  according  to  their  description  must  be  the 
same  as  those  seen  "under  the  altar"  (6:  9-11); — here  "be- 
headed;" there  "slain:"  here,  "for  the  witness  of  Jesus  and  for 
the  word  of  God;"  there,  "for  the  word  of  God  and  for  the  wit- 
ness" ["marturian"  as  here]  which  they  held  [without  faltering]. 
The  additional  points  here — "  had  not  worshiped  the  beast,"  etc  , 
had  not  come  up  at  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal,  but  came  in  at 
a  later  stage  of  the  book  and  are  here  only  to  show  that  these 
martyrs  include  all  those  who  suffered,  whether  from  persecuting 

Jews  or  from  persecuting   Komans. "  Blessed  and  hol^y  is  he 

that  hath  part,'  etc.  In  what  sense  "holy?"  Does  this  mean 
merely  that  he  is  a  good  man,  a  saint  in  the  common  significance 
of  this  word  ?  Or  rather  in  the  original  sense  of  the  word — one 
set  apart  and  distinguished  from  all  others,  so  that  the  clause 
means,  pre-eminently  blessed  is  he,  distinctively  above  all  others  ? 

1  accept  the  latter  sense. 

We  may  now  give  attention  to  the  important  points  in  this  pas- 
sage— in  the  following  order  : 

1.  Who  are  these  "souls?" 

2.  In  what  sense  do  they  "live  and  reign  with  Christ?" 

3.  What  is  meant  by  this  "  first  resurrection  ?  " 

4.  What  moral  effect  was  sought  by  this  strong  and  striking  rep- 
resentation of  the  joy  of  the  martyrs  during  this  thousand  years? 

1.    Who  are  these  "  souls  f" As   said   above,  the   description 

accords  so  perfectly  with  that  of  the  souls  seen  under  the  altar 
(():  9-11)  as  to  leave  no  room  for  doubt  that  these  are  the  same, 
^loreover,  nothing  could  be  more  natural  or  more  appropriate  than 
to  bring  them  to  view  again  here  to  show  that  their  prayer  is  now 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XX.  221 

gloriously  answered;  their  sorrow  turned  to  joy;  their  blood  most 
sigiiiilly  avenged;  that  the  ^'' jxulgvient"  they  implored  is  given 
tliem.  This  book  of  Revelation  would  have  been  incomplete  with- 
out this  final  view  of  the  souls  seen  first  under  the  altar. Yet 

again,  it  is  entirely  in  harmon^jr  with  the  genius  of  this  book  that 
the  glories  of  the  Millennium  should  be  set  forth  as  seen  in  the 
joy  of  the  martyrs  and  the  co-ordinate  joy  of  Christ  their  Lord.  Note 
how  the  glorious  results  of  the  fall  of  Judaism  and  of  its  repre- 
sentative city  are  shown  (11  :  15-18)  in  the  songs  of  heaven  ;  and 
in  like  manner,  the  results  of  the  fall  of  Babylon,  in  the  Alleluias 
that  come  down  as  the  voice  of  many  waters  and  the  voice  of 
mighty  thunderings  because  "the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth" 
(I'J:  i-7).  The  same  style  of  poetic  conception  rules  in  this  pas- 
sage. We  are  shown  the  blessedness  of  the  Millennium  in  the 
ineffable  bliss  and  glory  of  the  martyred  saints  exulting  with  their 
glorious  Lord  and  King. 

2.  In  what  sense  do  they  ^^  live  and  reign  with  Christ?" In 

my  view  "live"  and  "reign"  serve  to  fill  out  one  common  idea. 
'J'lie  words  help  to  explain  each  other.  The  state  here  tacitly 
antithetic  to  "  life  " — out  of  which  they  come  when  they  begin  to 
live — was  not  non-existence,  but  was  suffering,  trial— the  state  of 
tlie  praying  and  struggling  martyred  souls  as  shown  (6:  9-11). 
And  this  is  the  common  usage  of  the  word  "  live,"  taken  figura- 
tively. "  Now  we  live  [i.  e.,  in  real  life  and  blessedness]  if  ye 
stand  fast  in  the  Lord  '  (1  Thess.  3 :  8).  "  Shall  we  not  much 
rather  be  in  subjection  to  the  Father  of  spirits  and  live" — be 
richly  blessed  by  means  of  our  afHiction  yielding  the  peaceful  fruit 
of  righteousness?  (Ileb.  12:  9.)  So  the  "eternal  life"  of  the 
righteous  is  by  no  means  a  mere  eternal  existence.  The  tree  of  life 
is  not  so  called  because  it  barely  prolongs  existence.  If  this  were 
its  only  significance,  the  devil  himself  and  all  the  damned  might 
eat  of  it  A  little  attention  will  show  that  this  usage  of  the  words 
"  live,"  "  life,"  prevails  throughout  the  Bible  and  indeed  in  uni- 
versal language. Keigning,  being   a  king,  has  been  in  every 

age  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  man's  ambition.  Hence  it  is  nat- 
urally put  for  what  men  most  aspire  after  and  most  love — any  sup- 
posed or  real  blessedness.  So  I'aul  uses  it  (1  Cor.  4:8);  "  Now 
ye  arc  full ;  now  ye  are  rich ;  yc  have  reigned  as  kings  without 
us."  Observe  that  the  glory  and  blessedness  promised  to  God's 
people  and  especially  made  prominent  during  the  ages  of  persecu- 
tion in  promise  to  those  who  suffer  with  enduring  patience,  is 
often  presented  as  here; — "They  shall  be  kings  and  priests  of 
God  and  of  Christ,"  "With  slight  variations  in  the  phraseology, 
this  figurative  language  abounds  throughout  the  New  Testament. 
This  book  of  Revelation  opens  with  it;  "Hath  made  us  kings  and 
priests  unto  God"  (1:  6);  and  in  the  same  Avords  (5:  10)  with 
the  additional  clause — "and  we  shall  reign  on  the  eai'tli."  Peter 
combines  both  ideas — king  and  priest — from  Ex.  19:5;  "a  royal 
priesthood,"  i.  e.,  kingly  priests  and  priestly  kings — an  honor  which 


222  KEVELATION.— CHAP.  XX, 

blends  the  distinctive  qualities  of  both  the  king  and  the  priest 
J3at  Paul  (Kom.  8:  17)  gives  us  the  precise  idea:  "If  children, 
then  heirs;  heirs  of  God  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ ;  if  so  be  that 
we  suiTer  with  him  that  we  may  be  glorified  together.^'  The  exaltsv 
tion  to  a  glory  like  Christ's  and  a  glory  co-ordinate  with  Christ's 
seems  to  be  the  precise  idea  so  often  presented  in  the  Scriptures  in 
words  or  at  least  in  general  thought  like  this  before  us.     See  also 

1  Pet.  4:  13. Now  there  is  not  the  least  occasion  to  strain  this 

language  so  as  to  include  the  responsible  functions  of  king  in  the 
universe  of  God.  Such  a  sense  is  simply  impossible  because  the 
thing  itself  is  so.  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord  alone.  None  other  than 
he  has  the  capabilities;  none  but  he  has  the  right:  let  none  but 
him  have  this  supreme  glory. The  sense  of  our  passage  there- 
fore is  that  the  martyrs  are  ineffably  blessed  in  their  joy  with 
Christ  over  the  binding  of  Satan  and  the  "  filling  of  the  earth  with 
the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord"  [Jesus]  "as  the  waters 
cover  the  sea."  The  rest  of  even  the  righteous  dead  come  short 
of  such  a  life — at  least,  of  a  life  so  full  of  blessedness  at  this  par- 
ticular time  and  because  of  these  special  events.  None  else  can 
appreciate  and  drink  in  this  joy  as  those  martyrs  do.  Others  will 
have  their  blessedness  in  its  time  ;  but  the  pre-eminent  joy  over 
the  binding  of  Satan  and  these  victories  of  Jesus  is  the  lot  of  those 
only  who  have  suilered  and  prayed  as  did  those  martyrs  seen 
under  the  altar. The  wicked  dead  come  not  into  this  account. 

3.    What  is  meant  by  this  ''''first  resurrection  V 1  am  well 

aware  of  the  difficulties  that  invest  this  question.  These  difficul- 
ties I  feel  the  more  deeply  because  I  see  what  seem  to  me  strong 
reasons  in  support  of  the  figurative  sense  of  "  resurrection ;  "  and 
yet  so  far  as  1  know,  the  literal  sense  is  adopted  by  most  if  not  all 
of  the  best  critics.  Hence  it  behooves  me  to  present  my  views 
modestly,  yet  none  the  less  fully  and  clearly.  Whether  my  views 
are  well  sustained  let  the  reader  judge. 

The  choice  lies  between  the  literal  sense — the  raising  of  the 
dead  body  to  life;  and  the  figurative,  viz.,  joy  after  sorrow;  the 
passing  from  agony,  despondency  hard  by  despair,  into  high  frui- 
tion and  blessedness — the  change  from  a  quasi  death  to  real  life. 
We  may  call  the  latter  the  symbolic  sense  of  the  word  "resur- 
rection.'' 

In  favor  of  this  usage  of  the  word  here,  I  adduce  the  following 
considerations: — (1.)  The  almost  universally  symbolic  strain  of 
this  book.  Not  going  beyond  this  chapter  we  have  symbols  in 
the  "great  chain,"  the  "old  serpent,"  the  "seal"  put  upon  him, 
the  "thrones,"  the  "second  death,"  the  "camp  of  the  saints,"  the 
"  beloved  city,"  etc.,  etc.  It  is  tlierefore  with  and  not  against  the 
Analogy  of  the  book  to  account  this  resurrection  symbolic. 

(2.)  John  found  this  symbolic  usage  of  "resurrection"  and  of 
its  idea,  in  the  old  prophets;  particularly  in  Isa.  20:  14,  19,  and 
Ezek.  37:  1-14,  and  Hos.  13:  14.  [See  my  notes  on  those  pas- 
sages.}  The  argument  here  is  that  since  John  follows  the  usage 


EpVELATION— CHAP.  XX.  223 

of  the  Old  Testament  prophets  ahnost  if  not  quite  invariably,  it  is 
fair  to  assume  that  he  follows  it  here.  Seeiiii!;  tiieir  usa^e  of  this 
idea  of  resurrection,  he  naturally  adopts  it  himself.  This,  as  we 
have  continually  seen,  is  remarkably  the  law  of  this  whole  book. 

(;5.)  Another  remarkable  fact  deserves  careful  consideration. 
Twice  in  his  gospel  (viz.,  5:  24-29,  and  11  :  23-2G)  our  author 
touches  the  subject  of  resurrection  and  in  both  cases  he  has  two 
resurrections  before  his  mind,  viz.,  (1)  the  raisini^  of  souls  from 
death  in  sin  to  real  and  blessed  life  in  God;  and  (2)  the  raising 

of  bodies  from  their  graves.     Note  the  order  of  his  thought. 

'■  lie  that  heareth  my  words  and  belicveth  on  him  that  sent  me 
hath  everlasting  life  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation,  but 
is  passed  from  death  unto  life.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  The 
hour  is  coming  and  now  is  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of 
the  Son  of  (Jod,  and  they  that  hear  shall  /u'e."  [This  is  the  first 
rcsuri'ection.]  The  second  and  other  is  put  thus:  "Marvel  not  at 
this,  for  the  hour  is  coming  in  the  which  all  that  are  in  their 
graves  shall  hear  his  voice  and  shall  come  forth."  Beyond  all 
t)uestion  this  second  is  the  litei'al  resui-rection  of  the  bodies  of  ail 
the  dead.  Equally  beyond  question  is  it  that  the  former  is  a  spir- 
itual resTirrection ;  i.  e.,  the  resurrection  is  made  a  figure  or  s^nn- 
bol  for  that  more  wondrous  and  far  more  glorious  change  which 
comes   over  human  souls  when   they  pass  from   death   in  sin  to 

everlasting  life  and  peace  in  God. The  resurrection  of  Lazarus 

gives  us  the  other  case  referred  to.  And  here  too  the  first  and  lead- 
ing thought  is  that  higher,  grander  and  more  comprehensive  one — 
"  1  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life;  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though 
he  were  dead,  3^et  shall  he  live."  As  the  infinite  fountain  of  all 
life  and  of  all  resurrection-power,  1  first  evince  it  by  raising  dead 
souls  to  the  life  of  peace  and  love  and  biessedness  in  God — even 
the  souls  of  all  who  believe  in  me;  and  next  I  do  the  subordinate 
and  very  inferior  thing  of  raising  their  mortal  bodies  to  life.  The 
first  resurrection  is  the  spiritual.  This  is  the  natural  order  in 
Avhich  the  mind  of  Jesus  and  consequently  the  mind  of  John  ar- 
ranges the  grand  ideas  connected  with  resurrection.  Should  it 
therefore  surprise  us  that  having  followed  this  order  in  every  case 
where  he  touches  the  resurrection  in  his  gospel,  he  should  follow 
it  here  also  ? 

(4.)  The  strong,  decisive  points  which  set  forth  a  literal  resur- 
rection arc  lacking  here.  Nothing  is  said  of  bodies,  much  less 
of  bodies  coming  up  out  of  their  graves.  Indeed  it  is  quite  plain 
that  John  saw  no  bodies  but  only  "souls."  He  uses  precisely  the 
same  language  here  as  in  chap.  G  :  9-11  where  beyond  all  question 
the  souls  seen  were  disembodied,  being  in  the  state  intermediate 
between  death  and  the  resurrection.  Of  these  "souls"  he  does 
not  say  that  they  are  restored  to  their  bodies  or  their  bodies  to 
them;  but  only  that  they  ^^ lived" — lived  and  reigned  with  Christ 
as  kings  and  priests — the  sense  of  which  we  have  already  dis- 
cus.scd.     How  John  speaks  of  a  real  resurrection  of  bodies  any 


224  EEVELATION— CHAP.  X«X. 

ivne  may  see  in  the  closing;  verses  of  tliis  chapter :  "  Tiic  dead, 
iinall  and  (freaf,  stand  before  (Jud;"  "the  sea  gave  up  the  dead 
[bodies]  that  were  in  it,"  etc. 

(5.)  The  description  here  compared  Tvith  that  in  6:  9-11  de- 
mands nothing  more  than  this — that  souls  seen  first  in  the  ajrony 
of  prayer  and  solicitude  are  now  seen  emerging  from  that  state, 
or  rather,  fully  emerged  into  glorious  exaltation  and  blessedness 
with  Christ,  luxuriating  in  his  triumphs,  exulting  in  the  fall  of 
Satan,  in  the  victories  of  Zion's  King,  in  the  peace  and  blessedness 
of  men  over  all  this  wide  earth,  and  the  consummation  of  the 
divine  glory  in  the  grand  scheme  of  salvation!  Is  not  such  a 
transition  worthy  to  be  called  a  resurrection  unto  life? 

(6.)  This  view  of  the  meaning  harmonizes  perfectly  M'ith  the 
moral  purpose  of  the  whole  book.     This  can  not  be  said  with  equal 

pertinence   of  the    other   interpretation. The   martyred   dead 

emerging  from  their  agony  of  solicitude  and  prayer  under  the  altar 
to  ineffable  joy  and  triumph  with  Christ  as  if  on  thrones  of  honor, 
would  be  a  most  impressive  scene  to  the  still  imperiled  and  suf- 
fering saints  to  whom  these  visions  were  sent.  Nothing  could  be 
more  inspiring.  How  it  would  lift  their  souls  from  all  depression 
and  fire  them  with  zeal  for  even  martyrdom  itself  since  it  stands 

associated  with  such  rewards! But  it  is  by  no  means   clear 

that  a  literal  resurrection  of  those  martyrs  in  advance  of  all  other 
saints  could  be,  in  itself  considered,  in  any  measure  so  inspiring. 
If  you  take  out  of  these  words  the  sense  of  ineffable  joy  and  glo- 
rious exaltation,  and  leave  only  the  literal  idea — the  raising  of 
their  bodies  from  their  graves — have  you  not  robbed  them  chiefly 
of  their  inspiring  power  ? 

(7.)  A  literal  resurrection  in  this  passage  is  opposed  by  the 
iniiform  testimony  of  all  other  scripture  to  the  effect  that  there  is 
but  one  resurrection  and  that  one  not  only  general  but  universal — ■ 
of  all  the  dead  ;  not  only  all  the  righteous  but  all  the  wicked — "all 
that  are  in  their  graves  "  (John  5:  28).     See  this  subject  discussed 

in  my  "Jeremiah,"  pp.  406-409. 1  grant  that  such  language 

[of  universality]  may  be  supposed  to  admit  slight  exceptions,  like 
that  recorded  in  Matt.  27  :  52,  53.  But  if  this  resurrection  in 
Jcihn  be  that  of  bodies,  it  becomes  not  a  slight  but  a  great  excep- 
tion, so  great  as  essentially  to  break  dowTi  the  rule.  For  consider 
how  many  will  be  embraced  under  it.  Can  we  limit  it  to  the 
martyrs  of  John's  age — those  who  fell  before  the  malignity  of 
Ihc  Jews  or  the  cruelty  of  Nero ?  If  we  extend  it  to  all  martyrs 
.■)f  all  Christian  ages,  the  number  becomes  a  host — all  too  many 
to  come  in  as  an  exception  to  statements  so  strong  and  so  compre- 
hensive as  those  which  affirm  one  resnrrection  only  of  all  the 
human  race. 

(8.)  The  first  resurrection  is  correlated  here,  not  distinctly  with 
a  second  resurrection  of  bodies,  but  with  the  "  second  death."  Now 
since  this  second  death  is  certainly  symbolic,  i.  e.,  is  not  a  second 
severing  of  soul  from  body,  but  simply  a  state  full  of  awful  terros 


EEVELATION.— CIIAr.  XX.  225 

Rnd  indeOnite  anguish  which  no  other  symbol  but  that  of  death 
can  adequately  express,  therefore  we  may  naturally  suppose  that 
(lie  lirst  resurrection,  correlated  to  it,  is  also  symbolic — used  in  an 
analojjjous  sense,  of  what  is  indefinitely  blessed. These  consid- 
erations arc  modestly  submitted  as  the  grounds  which  incline  mo 
stronjily  to  the  view  of  a  figurative  as  opposed  to  the  precisely 
literal  sense  of  this  "  first  resurrection." 

4.  The  moral  effect  sought  by  tliis  strong  and  striking  presenta- 
tion of  the  blessedness  of  the  martyrs  has  been  brought  out  inci- 
dentally during  my  argument,  and  can  not  fail  to  be  readily  seen. 
It  harmonizes  perfectly  with  the  great  moral  purpose  which  per- 
vades the  whole  book,  viz.,  to  ins{)ire  the  utmost  Christian  heroism 
and  patient  endurance  under  the  fear  or  the  present  pressure  of 
bloody  persecution. 

The  Millennium  so  far  as  revealed  by  John  is  now  before  us. 
The  reader  Avill  see  that  the  description  is  very  limited,  making 
only  three  leading  points,  viz.,  the  binding  of  Satan ;  the  duration 
of  this  restraint;  and  the  joy  of  the  martyrs  with  Christ  over  the 
iilorious  event.  If  we  ask  for  the  agencies  which  are  to  introduce 
and  produce  this  millennial  age,  these  visions  give  no  answer  be- 
yond what  is  comprehended  in  the  one  fact — Satan  bound.  If  we 
ask  what  John  has  taught  us  respecting  the  state  of  the  world 
during  this  Millennium,  we  are  left  to  infer  it  from  these  two 
facts — the  withdrawing  of  Satan's  influence,  and  the  joy  of  the 
martyrs  and  of  Jesus  over  the  victory  of  his  cause,  the  triumph 

of  his  reign. AVc  may  however  turn  back  to  Old  Testament 

prophecy  and  there  find  many  of  the  most  important  questions 
fully  answered.  For  example,  if  we  ask  for  the  political,  moral, 
and  religious  state  of  the  world,  we  learn  that  wars  will  cease; 
crime  disappear;  that  hate  will  die  out  of  human  bosoms  and  love 
reign  in  its  stead;  the  idols  will  utterly  perish;  one  God  only 
sliall  be  worshiped  and  obeyed  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun. 
If  we  ask,  What  agencies  are  to  Avork  this  wondrous  change?  we 
are  promptly  answered — "  For  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  [Jesus]  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea." 
The  light  of  the  gospel  shall  go  forth  to  every  land,  shall  reach 
every  eye,  and  through  attending  grace  transform  every  heart. 
Not  Satan  but  Jesus  shall  reign.  Satan  deceives  no  longer;  the 
truth  of  God  in  his  gospel  leads  men  in  the  paths  of  righteousness 
and  peace. These  long  ages  form  the  grand  theater  for  mani- 
festing the  transforming  power  of  the  gospel  of  salvation — redemp- 
tion by  the  cross  of  Jesus.  It  is  the  consummation  of  the  gospel 
age,  in  which  the  inherent  power  of  God's  Spirit  with  his  truth, 
borne  in  the  willing  hands  and  loving  hearts  of  his  peojtle,  ■vyill 

have  free  course  and  be  glorified. Moreover,  it  will  allbrd  an 

opportunity  never  enjoyed  before  of  estimating  the  amount  of 
malign  influence  exerted  by  Satan  upon  our  race  to  instigate 
•;rime,  intensify  depravity,  draw  men  away  from  (iod  to  idols,  and 
iu  general  to  withstand  God  and  his  truth  and  ])eople.     During 


226  EEVELATIOX.— CHAP.  XX. 

this  thousand  years  it  may  be  seen  how  much  opposing  force  is 
Bubtractcd  and  how  much  yet  remains  to  be  encountered  and 
overccmc. But  most  affecting  and  sublime  of  all  is  the  concep- 
tion given  us  in  this  millennial  age  of  the  magniiicent  results  of 
the  gospel  upon  human  well-being.  Men  Avill  see  as  never  before 
that  the  gospel  is  indeed  "the  power  of  God  unto  salvation" — a 
salvation  that  really  saves  from  the  miseries  of  sin.  Think  of  the 
limitless  sweep  and  range  of  this  power;  think  how  the  blessed- 
ness of  each  saved  soul  is  augmented  by  the  known  blessedness 
of  all;  think  how  the  joyous  present  will  be  the  more  enjoyed  for 
its  contrast  with  the  ti'oubled,  the  sinning  and  the  suffering  past; 
and  finally,  conceive  with  Avliat  ineffable  joy  the  saints  will  repose 
in  the  assurance  of  a  long,  long  reign  of  truth  and  righteousness 
and  peace  over  a  world  in  which  Satan  has  held  sway  so  cruelly 
and  so  long.  Will  it  not  be  joyous  to  know  that  the  reign  of  Jesus 
Messiah  will  be  indefinitely  longer? 

7.  And  when  the  thousand  years  are  expired,  Satan  sliall 
be  loosed  out  of  his  prison, 

8.  And  shall  go  out  to  deceive  the  nations  which  are  iu 
the  four  quarters  of  the  earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  gather 
them  together  to  battle :  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the 
sand  of  the  sea. 

9.  And  they  "went  up  on  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  and 
compassed  the  camp  of  the  saints  about,  and  the  beloved 
city :  and  fire  came  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and 
devoui'ed  them. 

The  w^ords  and  figures  used  here  are  easily  traced  to  Ezek.  38 
and  39,  where  we  have  a  like  account  of  the  mustering  of  remote 
northern  nations;  the  very  names,  Gog  and  Magog;  the  vast  num- 
ber of  their  hosts;  their  vain  attempt  to  besiege  and  destroy  the 
holy  city,  and  the  fearful  judgments  of  the  Almighty  which  blasted 
their  efibrts  and  swept  their  hosts  with  fell  destruction.  In  p]ze- 
kiel  the  agencies  employed  in  their  destruction  are  more  A-arious ; 
here  they  seem  concentrated  in  the  one  most  terrible  of  all — fire 
from  God  out  of  heaven. The  conception  of  the  saints  as  "  en- 
camped" and  of  "the  beloved  city"  is  altogether  Jewish  in  its 
origin,  for  it  locates  the  scenes  in  Palestine.  The  woi'd  "earth" 
["breadth  of  the  carth"'\  should  rather  be  the  land — that  of  the 

ancient  Jews. There  is  no  occasion  to  infer  that  these  events 

are  identical  with  those  referred  to  by  Ezekiel.  It  is  the  usage 
of  John  throughout  this  book  to  borrow  his  terms  and  figures  from 
the  old  prophets,  and  then  describe  with  them  events  analogous 
but  not  at  all  the  same.  Judging  from  its  place  in  the  prophetic 
series,  the  great  conflict  of  Ezek.  38  and  39  precedes  the  millen- 
nial age  wdiich  stands  in  the  closing  chapters  (4U-4S) ;  while  here 
iu  John  it  certainly  follows  the  Millennium. 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XX.  227 

This  account  of  the  loosing  of  Satan  and  its  results  is  most  re- 
markable. I  am  not  aware  that  any  allusion  to  it  appears  else- 
where in  the  Scriptures.  Indeed  the  tenor  of  all  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecies  of  the  millennial  age  represents  it  as  not  only  in- 
definitely long,  but  as  stretching  onward  to  the  very  end  of  time. 
At  least  there  is  no  hint  of  an  abrupt  termination  and  a  marked 
reverse  like  what  appears  here.  The  Old  Testament  prophets  do 
not  locate  the  resurrection  and  the  final  judgment  as  related  to 
the  millennial  age,  but  rather  seem  to  make  the  glorious  blessed- 
ness of  the  Millennium  merge  into  the  eternal  heaven.  We  can 
not  however  say  that  their  testimony  stands  in  direct  collision  with 
this.  The  fact  is  rather  that  their  testimony  is  negative;  this  is 
positive.  They  fail  to  say  any  thing  about  this  reverse;  John  def- 
initely affirms  it.  It  is  in  vain  to  ask  why  they  omitted  it,  sup- 
posing it  to  be  true.  God  did  not  give  prophecy  on  the  princi])Ie 
of  revealing  all  truth  to  every  prophet.  We  must  rest  on  the 
ground  that  he  would  not  have  said  these  things  to  John,  and 
through  him  to  us,  if  they  had  not  been  true.—; — Assuming  their 
truth,  therefore,  it  is  obvious  that  one  part  of  God's  design  in  per- 
mitting this  last  development  of  Satan  in  our  world  may  have 
been  to  exhibit  his  agency  before  our  race  and  before  the  moral 
universe  with  far  more  distinctness  and  prominence  than  ever 
before.  After  the  long  ages  of  Christ's  peaceful  and  triumphant 
reign,  the  very  name  of  Satan,  and  much  more  his  pernicious 
agencies,  may  have  been  almost  forgotten  from  the  human  mind, 
not  to  say  from  angelic  minds  as  well.  One  more  exhibition  of 
Satanic  hate  and  revenge  and  power  will  not  be  amiss  for  the 
moral  instruction  of  the  universe.  Coming  at  this  stage,  in  the 
strongest  possible  contrast  with  the  beneficent  reign  of  the  Great 
Messiah,  it  will  stand  out  most  signally  before  the  universe  as  the 
moral  ground  of  his  eternal  doom.  Who  can  then  fail  to  see  that 
he  is  indeed  a  devil  and  a  Satan,  infinitely  deserving  his  destiny 

of  torment  in  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone  forever  and  ever! 

It  is  noticeable  that  here  as  in  Ezekiel  38  and  39  there  is  no  in- 
timation that  the  people  of  God  joined  battle  with  the  hostile  in- 
vaders. It  rather  seems  that  they  "stood  still  to  see  the  salvation 
of  God  " — and  7iot  in  vain !  The  scene  is  shaped,  perhaps  purposely, 
to  reveal  the  blazing  right  arm  of  the  Almighty  in  judgment  on  his 
foes!  It  will  avail  little  for  us  to  define  God's  methods  in  a  case 
like  this ;  general  views  and  results  are  all  that  he  has  been  pleased 
to  give  us. 

10.  And  the  devil  that  deceived  them  Avas  cast  into  the 
lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  the  bea.st  and  the  false 
prophet  are,  and  shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  forever 
a"id  ever. 

This  is  his   final  doom. The  clau.se,  "  that  deceived  them," 

indicates  his  damning  crime — cruelly  and  falsely  alluring  them  on 


228  EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XX. 

to  their  rnin ;  reckless  of  their  welfare  ;  malicionsly  bent  on  with- 
standing  God  and  hia  people,  and  npon  destroying  the  peace  of  the 
nniverse  to  the  utmost  extent  of  his  power.     Oh,  how  richly  does 

he  deserve   his    doom  ! The  qncstion  will  arise  whether  this 

"lake"  is  or  is  not  the  same  with  the  abyss  [abnssos]  translated, 
"  the  bottomless  pit." The  fact  of  different  names  almost  de- 
mands a  diflference  in  the  things  to  which  the  names  are  applied. 
Klsc  how  coald  we  account  for  the  two  distinct  names?  More- 
over, the  abyss  seems  to  be  a  place  of  duress,  confinement,  only 
or  at  least  chiefly;  but  this  "lake"  is  pointedly  described  as  "a 
jiluce  of  torment."  The  same  distinction  between  the  present  and 
the  remotely  future  condition  of  lost  angels — the  legions  of  Satan — 
is  elsewhere  indicated : — "  Into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the 
devil  and  his  angels"  (jNIat.  25:  41);   "Art  thou  come  hither  to 

torment  us  before  the  time'?"  (Mat.  8:  29.) -"The  beast"  and 

"  the  false  prophet,"  i  e.,  the  guilty  persecutors  of  whom  these  are 
the  repi'csentative  characters,  have  the  same  destiny,  as  had  been 

said   before  (19:  20). The  moral  bearing  of  these  great  facta 

upon  the  persecuted  saints  of  John's  age  will  be  readily  seen. 

11.  And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  him  that  sat 
on  it,  from  whose  face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away; 
and  there  wa.s  found  no  place  for  them, 

12.  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before 
God ;  and  the  books  were  opened  :  and  another  book  was 
opened,  which  is  the  booh  of  life  :  and  the  dead  were  judged 
out  of  those  things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  accord- 
ing to  their  works. 

I  see  no  reason  to  doubt  that  these  verses  describe  the  scenes 
of  the  final  judgment.  For  aught  that  appears  this  judgment  will 
follow  closely  upon  the  events  of  the  verses  immediately  preceding. 
The  grandeur  and  majesty  of  this  final  judgment  as  here  de- 
picted are  unrivaled.  "A  great  while  throne" — white  being  sig- 
nificant of  purity  and  righteousness.  No  farther  attempt  is  made 
to  describe  the  iace  of  him  that  sat  upon  it  save  to  say  that  before 
its  sublime  presence,  the  earth  and  heaven  fled  aivay  as  if  they 
could  not  bear  it !  They  fled,  but  found  no  place  to  hide  !  _  Shall 
we  say — They  sink  into  annihilation  before  his  dread  majesty  ? 

Then  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  young  and  old,  of  all 

time — stand  before  the  throne  [so  the  best  authorities  give  the  text, 
instead  of -before  God]; — "and  the  books  were  opened" — follow- 
ing the  human  conception  of  books  of  record  in  w4iich  the  deeds 
of  every  human  life  have  been  registered  against  this  dread  day 

of  final  account! One  special  book  is  there  and  is  opened — 

"the  book  of  life" — showing  that  the  righteous,  all  redeemed  souls 
[shall  we  say  also  unsinning  infants?]  have  their  names.  And  all 
the  dead — the  long  succession  of  human  generations  since  the 
world  began,  are  judged  out  of  those  books  of  record,  each  and  all 


EEVELATION,— CHAP.  XXI.  229 

according  ts  their  works.  Such  also  is  the  view  given  of  the  final 
jiulgmcnt  in  various  other  scriptures;  and  such  a  transaction  ia 
manifestly  demanded  for  the  purpose  of  revealing  to  all  the  in- 
telligent minds  of  the  universe  the  righteousness  of  God's  final 
decisions  upon  human  destiny.  It  naturally  precedes  the  last 
award  of  endless  blessedness  to  the  righteous;  of  equally  endless 
woe  to  the  wicked.     !So  Christ  has  taught  us,  Mat.  25 :  31-46. 

13.  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it;  and 
death  and  hell  delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in  them : 
and  they  were  judged  every  man  according  to  their  works. 

14.  And  death  and  hell  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. 
This  is  the  second  death. 

15.  And  whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book 
of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. 

The  question,  Whence  came  these  "dead?"  is  here  answered. 
The  sea  gives  up  the  myriads  who  fouud  their  graves  there.  In 
the  terms,  "Death"  and  "  Hell"  [Thanatos  and  Hades],  we  seem 
to  have  the  King  of  the  under-world  [Thanatos]  and  his  dominions 
[  Hades]  where  the  dead  have  been  received  and  kept,  and  whence 
their  bodies  come  up  in  this  great  resurrection  day.  It  is  re- 
markable that  the  "  sea"  should  be  thought  of  as  holding  a  part 

of  the  dead,  and  the  graves  on  land  as  having  another  part. 

In  V.  14  the  sense  seems  to  be  that  Death  and  Hell,  personified, 
are  destroyed.  Having  fulfilled  their  mission,  they  are  no  more. 
"The  last  enemy  that  shall  be  destroyed   is   death"   (1  Cor.  15: 

20). The  Sinaitic  and  Alexandrine  manuscripts  with  which  the 

best  modern  editors  concur,  add  to  this  v.  14  the  words,  "  the  lake 

of  fire." V.  15  shows  that  the  whole  race  falls  into  two  classes 

only;  those  who  are  written  in  the  book  of  life,  and  those  who  are 
not.  All  the  latter  are  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  The  destiny  of 
the  former  is  not  specially  spoken  of  here,  but  is  given  in  full  in 
the  two  remaining  chapters. 


o>*4o 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

This  chapter  and  vs.  1-5  of  the  next  bring  before  us  the  closing 
scenes  in  the  magnificent  panorama  of  the  Apocalypse.  'I'he  main 
question  of  interpretation  here  is  whether  this  is  truly  the  heavenly, 
post-resurrection  state.  Does  this  state  follow  the  final  judgment 
as  brought  before  us  in  vs.  11-15  of  the  previous  chapter?  I  am 
compelled  to  take  the  affirmative  by  the  following  considerations. 
(1.)  The  consecutive  order  of  the  visions  naturally  demands 


230  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XXI. 

it.  We  have  had  the  Millennium  ;  then  the  last  rallying  of  Sp^tan's 
hosts  and  their  destruction;  then  the  "  great  white  throne"  of  final 
judgment  with  the  resurrection  of  all  the  dead  immediately  pre- 
ceding and  the  wicked  sent  to  their  eternal  destiny  following: — so 
that  now  it  only  remains  to  unfold  much  more  in  detail  the  eternal 
home  and  state  of  the  righteous.  That  this  should  be  given  much 
more  fully  than  the  corresponding  doom  of  the  wicked  is  legiti- 
mately in  harmony  with  the  moral  purpose  of  the  whole  book. 
There  is  every  reason  to  assume  that  this  is  precisely  the  order 
of  succession  in  these  stupendous  events  which  close  up  the  moral 
history  of  our  race  as  related  to  this  earthly  life  and  its  corre- 
sponding future. (2.)  The  first  verse  alludes  definitely  to  the 

passing  away  of  the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  and  indicates 
that  these  new  scenes  come  upon  the  great  stage  of  action  subse- 
quently, i.  e„  after  the  old  earth  and  heavens  are  gone.  No 
rational  sense  can  be  given  to  this  language  save  by  assuming 
that  we  are  now  borne  onward  to  the  state  beyond  the  resurrec- 
tion and  the  final  judgment.  The  very  intent  of  this  clause — 
"for  the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away" — 
must  have  been  to  locate  these  new  scenes  beyond  and  subsequent 

to  those  before  described. (o.)  All  the  features  of  this  new  state 

as  here  given  represent  it  as  the  consummation  of  final  retribution 
for  all  the  moral  good  and  moral  evil  of  our  present  world.  The 
righteous  are  shown  in  their  eternal  reward  ;  the  wicked  in  theirs. 

(4.)  No  objection  lies  against  this  view  of  the  passage  on  the 

ground  that  the  symbols  and  imagery  are  boiTowcd  from  things 
earthly — lai'gely  from  Old  Testament  descriptions  of  the  gospel 
age  of  the  world — in  general,  from  Jewish  conceptions  of  the  holy 
city  as  the  dwelling.-place  of  Israel's  God.  If  any  thing  positive  is 
to  be  said  of  the  ultimate  heavenly  world  it  must  by  the  laws  of 
the  sternest  necessity  be  put  in  symbolic  language,  and  these 
symbols  must  be  drawn  from  things  with  which  we  are  familiar. 
Otherwise  all  possible  illustration  is  precluded.  All  positive  con- 
ceptions of  heaven  must  be  built  upon  our  actual  conceptions  of 
things  earthly.  Suppose  an  effort  to  evade  this  necessity.  For 
example,  suppose  that  the  words  used  are  in  the  dialect  of  heaven 
and  not  the  dialect  of  earth ;  the  figures  and  symbols  used  for 
illustration  are  borrowed  from  the  scenery  of  the  planet  Saturn 
and   from  the   great  facts  in    the  history  of  that  planet.     How 

much  wiser  should   any  of  us   be   for   such   a   revelation  ? 1 

have  said,  "  all  positive  conceptions  of  heaven,"  for  my  argument 
does  not  look  specially  to  those  negative  conceptions  of  the 
heavenly  state  which  the  Scriptures  readily  give  us.  It  is  easy 
to  say  of  heaven — "No  night  there;"  no  tears  there;  no  sorrow 
there  ;  no  sin  there  ;  nothing  whatsoever  that  worketh  abomination 
or  maketh  a  lie;  "no  more  sea,"  etc.  Such  negations  of  the  ills 
of  our  present  state  come  home  at  once  to  our  souls,  impressed  by 
our  bitter  experience  of  life's  conflicts  and  woes,  of  its  griefs  and 
tears ;  and  we  feel  that  by  these  points  of  the  description,  we  have 


REVELATION.-CIIAP.  XXI.  231 

learned  something  definite  about  heaven.  And  we  have.  But 
heaven  is  more  than  a  system  of  negations.  It  is  more  than  earth 
with  these  ills  of  earth  taken  out.  Hence  we  naturally  long  to 
know  something  beyond  these  negative  points.  The  symbolism  of 
this  chapter  is  an  efibrt  to  teach  us  something  more — an  effort 
which  by  the  demands  of  a  stringent  necessity  seeks  to  build  up 
a  positive  heaven  upon  the  illustrations  afforded  us  in  the  scriptural 
views  of  the  earthly  Zion.  The  point  of  my  argument  here  is  that 
this  resort  to  the  earthly  Zion  for  symbols  and  illustrations  with 
which  to  lift  our  thought  to  the  heavenly  world  ought  not  to 
j)rojudice  or  in  any  Avay  damage  our  doctrine  that  these  scenes  do 

set  forth  the  real  heaven  that  lies  beyond  the  final  judgment. 

The  thoughtful  reader  will  notice  that  this  argument  has  become 
incidentally  (and  I  may  say  unintentionally)  an  exegesis  of  the 
chapter,  giving  in  the  main  the  clew  to  its  just  interpretation. 

1.  And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth:  for  the 
firf^t  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away ;  and  there 
was  no  more  sea. 

The  "heavens"  here  spoken  of,  both  the  "first"  Avhich  passed 
away  and  the  "new"  which  comes  into  its  place,  should  obviously 
be  interpreted  of  the  lower,  the  visible  heavens,  and  not  of  the 
higher  one,  the  glory  of  which  is  the  central  throne  of  the  Infinite 
God.  There  is  no  reason  for  supposing  that  this  higher  heaven 
"fled  away"  before  the  presence  of  him  who  sat  on  the  great 
white   throne   of  judgment  (20:  11).     The   lower  and   mundane 

heaven  and  this  only  can  be  thought  of  in  these  passages. The 

phrase — "  new  heaven  and  new  earth" — comes  by  imitation  or  al- 
lusion from  Isa.  51 :  16,  and  65  :  17-25,  and  66  :  22.  There  they 
represent  the  beneficent  moral  changes  wrought  in  our  world  by 
the  gospel,  with  special  reference  to  the  gospel  millennial  age,  as 
the  reader  will  see  by  careful  attcnticm  to  those  passages  in  their 
connection.  See  my  Notes  upon  them.  But  here  these  terms  arc 
transferred  to  the  new  order  of  things  and  to  the  new  Avorlds  that 
spring  into  being  or  order  after  the  final  judgment.  This  new 
heaven  and  new  earth  bear  a  sense  compared  with  that  in  Isaiah, 
higher  by  far,  yet  analogous.  1  see  no  necessity  for  holding  the 
words  to  precisely  the   same   ideas,   i.  e.,   to   represent   here    the 

millennial  rather  than  the  post-resurrection  state. "  No  more 

sea."  Jn  some  of  its  aspects  the  sea  symbolizes  things  sublime, 
vast,  and  grand  ;  but  in  the  more  common  Hebrew  usage,  what- 
ever is  agitated,  changeful,  full  of  unrest,  with  often  a  strong 
moral  shading  of  the  guilty  rebellion  and  unrest  of  sin.  Recur- 
ring to  the  symbolism  of  this  book,  we  may  well  notice  that  the 
seven-headed,  ten-horned  beast  (13:  1)  "rose  up  out  of  the  sea." 
Hence  the  passage  before  us  suggests  the  gratel'ul  assurance  that 
in  this  new  heavenly  state  there  shall  be  no  more  such  sea — the 

liouie  of  dragons  and  of  savage  terrible  beasts. farther  back, 

in  the  visions  shown  to  Daniel  (7  :  2,  o)  "  the  four  winds  of  heaven 


232  EEVELATION— CIIAr.  ^XL 

strove  upon  the  great  sea,  and  four  great  beasts  came  up  from  the 
son,"  etc.;  and  in  yet  more  ancient  times  the  sea  was  a  symbol 
of  ungoverned  self-will,  recklessly  working  ruin  and  demanding  to 
be  fii-mly  curbed  in;  for  Job  (7  :  12)  asks — "Am  I  a  sea  or  a 
whale  that  thou  settest  a  watch  over  me?"  Isaiah  (51:  20) 
makes  fit  and  forcible  use  of  this  symbol:  "The  wicked  are  like 
tlie  troubled  sea  when  it  can  not  rest,  whose  waters  cast  up  mire 
and  dirt;"  and  Luke  (21:  25)  draws  a  vivid  picture  of  the  dis- 
tress of  guilty  nations,  trembling  under  the  impending  judgments 
of  the  Almighty,  in  the  words — "the  sea  and  tlie  waves  roaring." 
With  these  symbols  before  us  we  may  readily  understand  why  in 
this  new  heaven  and  earth  "  there  shall  be  no  more  sea." 

2.  And  I  John  saw  the  holy  city,  new  Jerusalem,  coming 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned 
for  her  husband. 

This  grand  conception — a  vast  city  let  down  from  the  highest 
heaven — should  be  thought  of  as  ideal  rather  than  actual — a  thing 
of  symbol  rather  than  of  reality.  Jerusalem — a  name  dear  above 
all  other  names  to  the  ancient  saints — dear  because  it  was  the 
city  where  God  dwelt  with  his  people  and  where  all  the  hallowed 
associations  of  his  presence  and  worship  clustered  together,  be- 
came the  fitting  symbol  for  the  new  heavenly  state.  Remark- 
ably it  appears  here  in  forms  of  perfect  beauty ;  even  as  the  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband  in  the  holy  scenes  of  marriage.  This 
comparison  appears  again  (vs.  9,  10) — the  city  in  its  virgin  attire, 
arrayed  for  that  one  hour  most  eventful  of  her  life,  where  taste, 
adornment,  and  beauty  are  more  in  place  than  ever  elsewhere. 
The  reader  will  notice  that  this  conception  is  essentially  the  same 
wliich  we  have  in  the  l^ong  of  Solomon  and  which  appears  in 
various  forms"throughout  the  Old  Testam.ent  prophets  and  the  New 
Testament  writers — the  church  washed  from  her  sins,  clothed  in 
white,  her  loving  heart  given  in  virgin  simplicity  and  purity  to 
her  glorious  Husband,  her  Jesus — at  once  both  Lover,  Lord,  and 
King.  This  symbol  fitly  gives  us  the  grand  consummation  of  the 
heavenly  state.     What  could  present  it  more  beautifully  or  more 

appropriately? In  this  verse  the  most  anuient  manuscripts  omit 

the  word  "John." 

3.  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  heaven  saying.  Be- 
hold, the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell 
with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  people,  and  God  himself 
ehall  be  with  them,  and  he  their  God. 

4.  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes ; 
and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  cry- 
ing, neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain :  for  the  former 
things  are  passed  away. 

Of  course  the  figure,  "tabernacle  of  Clod,"  comes  from  Jewish 
history — the  holy  tent  in  which  Ood  dwelt  among  men  in  his  vis- 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XXI.  233 

iljle  glory.  Here  it  witnesses  to  us  that  the  glory  and  blessedness 
of  the  future  heavenly  world  are  in  the  manifestations  of  (Jod's 
presence  with  his  people.  Nearer  to  them  than  ever  before,  man- 
ifesting his  presence  and  his  love  in  modes  and  forms  which  our 
loAV  earthly  thought  can  by  no  means  reach,  he  does  however 
show  that  the  chief  element  which  makes  that  state  a  pure  and 
perfect  heaven  is  precisely  this — that  (jod  is  so  perfectly  wilh  his 
people,  so  truly  and  gloriously  (heir  God.  And  such  a  God !  Ho 
great,  so  good,  so  kind  to  them,  so  glorious  in  every  manifestation  I 
VVhat  is  said  here  is  remarkably  personal  in  its  bearings  upon  his 
people — "  shall  wipe  away  every  tear ;  "  shall  cause  that  there  be 
no  more  death  or  pain  ; — all  those  "  former  things"  that  made  this 

lower  world  so  full  of  trial  and  sadness,  passed  lorever  away ! 

lu  the  lirst  clause  of  v.  3  the  better  reading  gives  us  "out  of  the 
throne"  instead  of  "out  of  heaven."  In  sense  this  correction 
makes  the  idea  more  specific.  The  voice  comes  not  merely  fnmi 
lieaven  in  general,  but  from  its  infinite  throne,  i.  e.,  from  the  very 
lips  of  him  who  sat  thereon. 

5.  And  he  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold,  1 
make  all  things  new.  And  he  said  uuto  ine,  Write :  for 
these  words  are  true  and  faithful. 

Probation  and  mortality  impressed  themselves  upon  the  former 
world  and  shaped  every  feature  of  the  divine  administration — 
every  element  in  the  character  of  the  state  itself.  In  this  new 
world  probation  gives  place  to  retribution  and  "this  mortal  puts, 
on    immortality."     Therefore   naturally   all    things   become   new. 

Will  it  not  be  a  wondrous  change  ? Pausing  in  the  process  of 

the  vision  as  if  to  impress  more  deeply  this  great  fact  of  a  mo- 
mentous change  from  this  state  to  that,  he  said  to  the  revelator, 
AV^rite;  for  here  are  great  truths;    "these  words  are  faithful  and 

true  ;  "    most  reliable   and   full   of  thrilling   significance. The 

improved  reading  gives  the  last  two  words  in  this  order — "  faithful 
and  true." 

6.  And  he  said  unto  mc,  It  is  done.  I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end.  I  will  give  unto  him 
that  is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 

This  emphatic,  "It  is  done!"  appears  (16:  17)  as  spoken  by  a. 
great  voice  from  the  temple  of  heaven  when  the  seventh  angel 
sounded  and  great  IJabylon  fell !  Its  essential  thought  is  consum- 
vuition — the  finishing  of  the  grand  drama  of  earth,  the  rounding 

up  to  completion  of  the  great  scheme  of  human  salvation. In 

tlie  middle  and  last  clauses  of  the  verse  the  relation  of  the  ideas 
is  signally  beautiful.  1  am  the  Great  Author  and  the  Great  Fin- 
isiier  of  thig  scheme  of  salvation;  and  the  central  feature  of  the 
whole  scheme  is  this — The  water  of  life  free  to  every  thirsty  soul ! 
To  all  who  wiU  be  blessed,  blessings  beyond  measure  rich  a:sd 
glorious ! 


234  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XXI. 

7.  He  that  overcomcth  shall  inherit  all  tilings  ;  aiid  I 
will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  sou. 

The  reading  wliicli  stands  in  the  English  margin  is  now  gen- 
erally accepted  on   the   credit  of  the  best  manuscripts;   not  "all 

things  "  but  tJiese  things — the  things  now  under  consideration. 

The  last  clause  is  expressive  beyond  all  other  language  possible  : 
"I  will  be  a  God  to  him;  he  shall  be  a  son  to  me."  What  could 
creature  ask  more  or  better  of  his  glorious  Creator  ? 

8.  But  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable, 
and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idol- 
aters, and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  which 
burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone :  which  is  the  second  death. 

The  blessedness  of  such  sonship  is  shown  yet  more  forcibly  in 
its  contrast  with  the  doom  of  the  ungodly ;  therefore  once  and 
once  only  in  this  chapter  our  minds  are  directed  to  the  case  of 
those  who  would  not  have  the  waters  of  life  and  vjould  7iot  be  the 
dutiful  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord  Almighty.^ The  specifi- 
cations here  come  naturally  from  the  types  of  wickedness  then 
most  common  and  patent  in  the  circumstances  of  the  times.  The 
"  fearful "  who  shrink  before  the  dangers  of  persecution  and  deny 
their  Lord;  the  "unbelieving"  who  had  no  faith  in  God  or  in  his 
word;  the  "abominable"  whose  vices  had  made  them  loathsome 
to  God  and  to  all  the  good  ;  "  murderers,"  probably  with  allusion  to 
the  persecutors  of  the  saints ;  "  whoremongers,"  under  the  moral  pol- 
lutions incident  to  idol  worship  and  an  idolatrous  age;  "  sorcerers," 
playing  into  the  devil's  hands  and  doing  his  work;  "idolaters," 
disowning  the  true  God,  and  setting  up  false  gods;  and  "all  liars," 
co-operating  with  the  liither  of  lies  in  deceiving  men  away  from 
the  true  God,  into  all  wickedness  ; — these  and  such  as  these,  loving 
sin  and  pollution  and  committing  themselves  to  utter  rebellion 
against  the  true  God — shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  of  fire — 
the  second  death. 

9.  And  there  came  unto  me  one  of  the  seven  angels 
which  had  the  seven  vials  full  of  the  seven  last  plagues, 
and  talked  Avith  me,  saying,  Come  hither,  I  will  show  thee 
the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife. 

From  this  point  one  of  the  chief  revealing  angels  proceeds  to 

give  a  more  minute  and  full  view  of  the  new  and  glorious  city. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  this  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,  is  identically 
the  great  city,  svmbolic  of  the  future  heavenly  state.  See  note  on 
V.  2. 

10.  And  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit  to  a  great  and 
high  mountain,  and  shewed  me  that  great  city,  the  holy 
Jerusalem,  descending  out  of  heaven  from  God, 


REVELATION.- CHAr.  XXT.  235 

11.  Having  tlie  glory  of  God  :  and  her  light  ivas  like 
nnto  a  stone  most  ])recious,  even  like  a  jasper  stone,  clear 
as  crystal ; 

12.  And  had  a  wall  great  and  high,  and  had  twelve 
gates,  and  at  the  gates  twelve  angels,  and  names  written 
thereon,  which  are  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the 
chiklren  of  Israel : 

lo.  On  the  east  three  gates  ;  on  the  north  three  gates  ; 
on  the  south  three  gates ;   and  on  the  west  three  gates. 

14.  And  the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations, 
and  in  them  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb. 

The  best  authorities  for  tlic  text  cive,  instead  of  "  that  great  city, 
the  holy  Jerusalem,"  only  this — "The  holy  city  Jerusalem."  Jn 
V.  14  the  word  "twelve"  is  added  before  "names,"  thus;  "and 
in  them  the  twelve  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb." 

Of  this  "great    and  h\ii}i  mountain,"   it  were   inept  to  ask 

where  it  stood,  as  if  we  were  forgetting  that  this  is  vision  and  not 
reality.  It  would  be  of  little  avail  also  to  inquire  where  the  "lioly 
city"  rested  and  had  its  location  after  it  came  down  out  of  heaven. 
It  is  well  for  us  that  God  has  made  no  attempt  to  teach  us  celestial 
geography  to  the  extent  of  locating  the  future  heaven.  Better  far 
that  he  should  teach  us  (as  he  does)  what  heaven  is ;  what  makes 

its  blessedness;  and  who  shall  have  welcome  entrance  there. 

The  first  descriptive  point  is  comprehensive  and  expressive — 
"  having  the  glory  of  God."  The  manifestations  of  his  presence 
constitute  both  its  visible  splendor  and  its  essential  blessedness  to 

his  people. "And   her  light"   ["phoster"]    "was  like  a  most 

precious  stone."  This  word  "light"  can  not  be  the  slate  opposed 
to  darkness  ;  nor  has  it  precisely  the  sense  of  luster,  eifulgence, 
as  one  might  suppose  fi-oui  its  being  compared  with  a  precious 
stone;  but  (as  the  Greek  word  demands)  it  has  the  sense  of 
luminary,  of  the  source  of  heaven's  light — its  sun.  This  flamed 
and  shone  like  a  jasper  stone,  all  refulgent  and  most  beautiful. 

That  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  figure  so  prominently  in  this 

description  docs  honor  to  the  place  they  filled  in  the  ancient 
church.  So  of  the  twelve  names  of  the  twelve  apostles.  Their 
labors  helped  to  lay  the  foundations  of  the  Christian  church  amid 
immense  labors  and  sufferings. 

15.  And  he  that  talked  with  me  had  a  golden  reed  to 
measure  the  city,  and  the  gates  thereof,  and  the  wall 
thereof. 

10.  And  the  city  lieth  foursquare,  and  the  length  is  as 
large  as  the  breadth  :  and  he  measured  the  city  with  the 
reed,  twelve  thousand  furlongs.  The  length  and  the  breadth 
and  the  height  of  it  are  equal. 


236  REVELATION —CHAP.  XXI. 

17.  And  he  measured  the  wall  thereof,  a  hundred  and 
forty  mid  four  cubits,  according  to  the  measure  of  a  man, 
that  is,  of  the  angel. 

In  V.  15  the  best    textual    authorities   add   the   Arords    "for  a 

measure,"  thus  :  "  had  for  a  measure  a  golden  reed,"  etc. The 

passage  imitates  Ezek.  40:  1,  and  also  Zech.  2:  1.  The  same 
thing  appeared  Rev.  11 :  1.  The  process  of  measuring  it  before 
the  eyes  of  John  would  give  him  a  more  impressive  sense  of  it8 

vastness  and  glory, The  perfect  symmetry  is  a  special  point. 

Remarkably  the  height  of  its  walls  is  the  same  as  their  length  and 
their  breadth.  This  gives  the  impression  not  only  of  perfect  sym- 
metry but  of  unsurpassed  magnilicence — the  obvious  purpose  of 
this  representation. 

18.  And  the  buildhig  of  the  wall  of  it  was  of  jasper  :  and 
the  city  rvas  pure  gold,  like  unto  clear  glass. 

19.  And  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city  were 
garnished  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones.  The  first 
foundation  xvas  jasper ;  the  second,  sa^iphire ;  the  third,  a 
chalcedony  ;  the  fourth,  an  emerald  ; 

20.  The  fifth,  sardonyx  ;  the  sixth,  sardius  ;  the  seventli, 
chrysolite ;  the  eighth,  beryl ;  the  ninth,  a  topaz  ;  the  tenth, 
a  chrysoprasus ;  the  eleventh,  a  jacinth;  the  twelfth,  an 
amethyst. 

21.  And  the  twelve  gates  xoere  twelve  pearls  ;  every  sev- 
eral gate  was  of  one  pearl :  and  the  street  of  the  city  was 
pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent  glass. 

All  the  resources  of  things  splendid,  beautiful,  rare  and  costly, 
seem  to  be  drawn  upon  and  exhausted  in  this  description  of  the 
heavenly  city.  As  in  the  building  age  of  Solomon,  silver  was  of 
small  account  and  gold  was  every-where,  so  here  the  city  was  pure 

gold  and  even  the  streets  of  the   city. This  word  "  streets " 

means  however  not  merely  the  traveled  roads,  but  the  broad 
places — the  public  squares  and  grounds  not  covered  with  build- 
ings.  Of  the  reality  which   corresponds  with  this  wealth  of 

imagery,  what  can  we  know  as  yet?  In  general  Ave  are  taught 
that  Jesus  whose  are  the  wealth  and  the  glory  of  the  universe 
will  spare  no  cost  in  fitting  up  the  mansions  of  heaven  for  his 
eternal  abode  with  his  redeemed  people. 

22.  And  I  saw  no  temple  therein :  for  the  Lord  God 
Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it. 

2-3.  And  the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the 
moon,  to  shine  in  it :  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it, 
and  the  Ijanib  is  the  light  thereof. 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XXI.  237 

Tliat  no  temple  is  there  shows  that  it  rises  hij;;h  above  the 
eartlily  Jerusalem  in  which  the  temple  was  the  pre-eminent  f^lory. 
*l'liat  it  needs  not  the  sun  or  the  moon  for  its  light  testifies  in  like 
manner  that  its  glor}"-  far  transcends  the  glory  of  earth.  It  is 
every  thing  to  that. world  that  God  and  the  Lamb  are  there! — are 
tliere  in  such  revelations  of  their  glory  and  in  such  relations  to 
their  redeemed  sons  and  daughters  as  language  and  symbols  strive 
in  vain  to  set  forth. 

24.  And  the  nations  of  them  which  are  saved  shall  walk 
in  the  light  of  it :  and  the  kiug.s  of  the  earth  do  bring  their 
glory  and  honor  into  it. 

25.  And  the  gates  of  it  shall  not  be  shut  at  all  by  day: 
for  there  shall  be  no  night  there. 

26.  And  they  shall  bring  the  glory  and  honor  of  the 
nations  into  it. 

'The  more  approved  reading  of  the  text  omits — "of  them  which 
are  saved,"  giving  us  only — "  The  nations  shall  walk  in  the  light 
of  it  " — in  language  imitating  the  prophetic  portrayal  of  millennial 
times,  e.  g.,  Isa.  2:  3,  "JMany  people  [nations]  shall  go  and  say, 
Come,  let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,"  ....  "we  will 
walk  in  his  paths,"  etc.  That  "  the  kings  of  the  earth  do  bring 
their  glory  and  honor  into  it"  imitates  the  thought  of  Isa.  60:  11. 
"  Thy  gates  shall  be  open  continually  that  men  may  bring  unto 

thee  the  wealth  of  the  Gentiles,"  etc. The  shutting  of  city  gates 

by  night  signiGcs  more  or  less  of  danger — the  possibility  of  a  night 
assault  or  of  some  undesirable  intruder.  But  here  we  have  mag- 
nilicent  gates,  yet  no  danger — no  need  of  their  being  even  shut! 
"  No  night  tliere  !  " 

27.  And  there  shall  in  nowise  cuter  into  it  any  thing 
that  defileth,  neither  ichatsoevcr  worketh  abomination,  or 
makeili  a  lie  :  l)ut  they  ■which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life. 

The  better  authorities  for  the  text  give  ns,  instead  of  "  defileth  " 
[koinounj  the  word  for  common  [koinon]  in  the  sense  of  vnclean. 
The  meaning  of  the  passage  is  not  materially  afi"ected  by  the 
change.  No  impure  thing  is  there.  The  men  of  impure  heart 
and  life  have  no  place  in  that  city.  Only  the  ransomed,  only 
those  whose  religion  has  made  them  personally  holy,  heartily  true 
to  God,  wholly  his  by  loving  and  absolute  consecration,  submis- 
sion, trust,  worship — such  only  are  there.  On  no  other  point  are 
these  revelations  of  the  great  eternal  future  more  positive  and  de- 
cisive than  in  this — the  stringent  separation  of  all  human  souls 
into  two  great  comprehensive  classes  according  to  character,  and 
tlie  gathering  of  all  the  pure  and  holy  into  the  one  place,  the 
heavenly  city ;  but  all  the  impure  and  unsanctilied  into  the  lake 
of  fire. 


238  KEVELATION.— CHAP.  XXII. 


CHAPTER    XXI 1. 

The  first  five  verses  close  the  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 
According  to  all  principles  of  propriety  they  should  have  been  in- 
cluded in  chap.  21. The  remainder  of  this  chapter  pertains  to 

the  conclusion  of  the  whole  book. 

1.  And  he  showed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  life,  clear 
as  crystal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the 
Lamb. 

2.  In  the  midst  of  the  street  of  it,  and  on  either  side  of 
the  river,  ivas  there  the  tree  of  life,  which  hare  twelve  man- 
ner of  fruits,  and  yielded  her  fruit  every  month :  and  the 
leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 

The  best  manuscripts  omit  the  word  "  pure  "  before  "  river." 

This  river  imitates  that  of  Ezek.  47:  1-12.  The  latter  however 
comes  forth  from  under  the  temple  and  really  I'epresents  gospel 
blessings  in  the  great  millennial  age,  while  this  comes  out  fi'om 
under  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  representing  in  a  corre- 
sponding manner  the  blessedness  of  the  eternal  heaven. While 

in  this  New  Jerusalem  there  is  no  more  "sea" — that  being  a 
symbol  of  whatever  is  agitating,  uncertain,  tempestuous;  there  is  a 
rivei;  a  precious  oriental  symbol  of  blessings  forever  flowing,  nat- 
urally insui-ing  perennial  verdure,  trees  and  shade  unfailing,  and 
exemption  from  thirst  and  barrenness — the  sore  evils  of  oriental 

tropical  regions. This  tree  of  life  and  its  various  fruits  come 

also  from  Ezek.  47  (see  v.  12)  where  obviously  we  have  the  plural, 
"  trees."  iSo  also  here,  there  must  be  trees  and  not  merely  one 
ti-ee,  for  if  only  one,  how  could  it  be  on  both  sides  of  the  river  ? 
'i'he  writer  speaks  of  the  tree  of  life  there  just  as  we  would  say  of 
any  given  district — The  palm-tree  is  there,  or  the  pine,  or  the 
cedar — meaning  that  this  variety  of  tree  abounds  there.  The 
meaning  seems  to  be  that  these  trees  lined  either  bank  of  the 
river  between  it  and  the  streets  which  also  ran  parallel  on  each 

side — a  scene  of  superlative  beauty. This  "  tree  of  life  "  as  well 

as  that  of  Ezekiel  have  their  prototype  in  the  primitive  garden. 

3.  And  there  shall  be  no  more  curse  :  but  the  throne  of 
God  and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it ;  and  his  servants 
shall  serve  him  : 

4.  And  they  shall  see  his  face  ;  and  his  name  shall  be 
in  their  foreheads. 

5.  And  there  shall  be  no  night  there ;  and  they  need  no 
candle,  neither  light  of  the  sun;  for  the  Lord  God  givpth 
them  light:  and  they  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever. 


EEVELATION.— CHAP.  XXII.  239 

"No  more  curse"  appears  in  its  thought  in  Zech.  14:  11;  our 
received  version  beintr,  "  no  more  utter  destruction."  Tlie  sense 
is — Xo  more  visitations  of  divine  disjdeasure;  nothing  that  brings 

cahimity   or   any   physical  evil. Tlie   fact   that  God    and   the 

Lamb  are  thei"e  has  been  repeatedly  implied;  that  their  throne  is 
there  is  the  new  point  made  here,  heightening  the  glory  of  this 
heavenly  world  since  it  shows  that  this  is  no  secondary  heaven, 
fitted  up  as  some  have  supposed  in  the  new  earth,  i.  e.,  in  thii 
world  regenerated  by  fire,  while  the  heaven  of  God's  throne  is  still 
elsewhere  and  indefinitely  higher  and  more  glorious.  Utterly  un- 
like that  system  of  things,  this  description,  associates  the  redeemed 
most  closely  and  intimately,  even  in  tlie  locality  of  their  residence, 

with  the  throne  itself  of  God  and  of  the   Lamb. "  His   [the 

Ijamb's]  servants  shall  serve  him" — precisely  how  and  in  what 
sort  of  service  is  not  said.  'J'hat  he  has  work  for  them  to  do  in 
the  great  scheme  of  the  last  all-comprehensive  economy  of  the 
universe,  there  can  be  no  rational  doubt.  Is  it  not  hinted  at  in 
the  expressive  words,  "Ye  are  my  witnesses  ?"  If  the  "angels 
desire  to  look  into  these  things"  (of  redemption)  even  now,  may 
not  tlie  same  angels  desire  to  learn  yet  more;  and  the  new-born 
angelic  beings  whom  God  may  create  in  the  ages  to  come — why 
should  not  they  have  something  to  learn  which  none  in  the  created 
universe  know  so  well  as  the  redeemed  themselves  ?  A  range  of 
possible,  nay  probable,  service  opening  in  this  line  so  widely  and 
80  gloriously,  tempts  me  to  follow  it  out  and  say — The  gospel 
scheme  has  made  stupendous  and  transcendent  manifestations  of 
(iod,  both  in  the  line  of  his  mercy  and  of  his  justice ;  that  these 
manifestations  have  in  them  a  glorious  moral  power  of  priceless 
value  for  all  the  created  minds  of  the  universe — a  power  which 
the  universe  can  not  afford  to  lose — a  power  which  the  throne 
and  moral  government  of  God  (speaking  reverently)  can  not  afford 
to  lose  or  to  let  pass  into  forgetfulness,  or  in  any  way  fall  short 
of  their  utmost  possible  efficiency  upon  the  universe  of  intelligent 
minds.  Hence  a  demand  upon  his  redeemed  servants  for  service, 
long  as  the  ages  roll  on — wide  as  the  universe  of  intelligent  beings. 
Who  knows  but  this  service — witnessing  to  such  facts  concerning 
God  and  the  Lamb  as  they  have  in  their  rich  experience,  may  be 
not  only  a  joy  but  a  positive  moral  power  unto  fresh  love  and 
adoration;  a  positive  invigoration  to  their  obedient  life;  a  posi- 
tive safeguard  against  ever  falling  before  temptation's  power — to 
the  myriads  whom  God  will  duly  create  to  people  the  j-et  empty 
worlds  hung  out  in  our  sky  and  the  yet  unborn  worlds  which  his 
creative  hand  may  bring  into  being  when  the  moral  appliances 
are  in  readiness  to  make  their  existence  a  sure  as  well  as  a  price- 
less blessing?  For  myself  1  can  not  regard  these  sujipositions  as 
either  idle  or  irrational  speculations.  It  would  be  easy  to  adduce 
many  things  from  the  Scriptures  and,  most  of  all,  frojji  the  words 
of  Jesus  himself  that  bear  strongly  in  support  of  these  general 
views  of  the  future  responsibilities  and  services  of  those  who  have 


240  REVELATION.— CHAP.  XXI I. 

been  "  faithful  over  a  few  things  "  here.  That  the  redeemed  have 
service  to  render  in  behalf  of  their  glorious  Lord  is  one  of  the 
best  tilings  revealed  of  heaven.  How  could  they  endure  a  state 
in  which  they  could  do  nothing  to  puqjose  to  express  their  love 
and  their  gratitude  to  llim  to  whom  they  owe  so  much !  As  here 
this  love  and  gratitude  are  best  expressed  by  service  which  blesses 
others,  which  brings  other  souls  to  Jesus'  feet;  so  there  some 
form  of  service  which  goes  out  benevolently  to  bless  others  accord- 
ing to  the  well  known  heai't  of  the  loving  Master,  must  be  the 
perfection  of  the  heavenly  life.  Let  us  thank  his  name  before- 
hand for  the  pi'ospect  thereof! "And  they  shall  see  bis  face." 

This  indicates  the  most  intimate  and  perfect  knowledge — the  most 
precious  intimacy.  They  are  not  dwelling  in  the  remote  distance, 
too  far  away  to  see  his  loving  eye,  or  to  hear  his  inspiring  voice, 
or  to  feel  the  very  breath  of  his  love;  but  they  "  see  his  face  "  as 
we  see  the  face  of  a  dear  friend  and  find  therein  the  fullest  man- 
ifestations of  love  and  sympathy  possible  in  our  present  existence. 
Of  course  this  symbol  comes  from  our  earthly  experience.  How 
can  we  expect  this  thought  to  be  expressed  otherwise  ? Essen- 
tially the  same  sentiment  appears  in  John's  first  epistle  (3:2): 
"  We  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  This 
gives  us  both  the  precious  fact,  and  the  most  blessed  moral  result 

thereof  in  our  heavenly  culture. "His  name  shall  be  in  their 

foreheads" — the  perpetual  testimony  that  they  are  his.  This  refers 
tacitly  to  the  case  of  the  wicked  persecutors  who  bore  "  the  mark 

of  the  beast"  in  their  foreheads  and  in  their  hands. "They 

vshall  reign  forever  and  ever" — as  to  which  see  my  notes  on  20:  4. 

6.  And  he  said  unto  mo,  These  sayings  are  faithful  and 
true :  and  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets  sent  his  angel 
to  shew  unto  his  servants  the  things  which  must  shortly  be 
done. 

7.  Behold,  I  come  quickly  :  blessed  is  he  that  keepeth 
the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book. 

Remarkably  this  book  closes,  repeating  many  of  the  same  points 
which  appear  in  the  introduction. The  older  and  better  manu- 
scripts give  us,  instead  of  "  The  Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets," 
this:  "The  Lord  God  of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets,"  i.  e.,  he  who 
controlled  their  prophetic  communications ;  who  gave  them  their 
messages  as  he  now  sent  them  by  his  angels.  That  God  sent 
these  messages,  that  he  sent  them  by  his  angel,  that  they  pre- 
dicted events  soon  to  transpire,  wore  points  that  appear  promi- 
nently in  the  introduction  of  tlie  book.  So  too  is  the  promise  of 
blessings  to  those  who  keep,  i.  e.,  who  remember,  study  and  live 
upon  the  things  herein  said.  The  book  had  a  definite  and  pre- 
cious moraUpurpose,  as  I  have  often  had  occasion  to  repeat. 

"Behold,  I  come  quickly" — to  visit  these  threatened  judgments 
upon  Jerusalem  and  upon  Rome — to  make  the  revelations  of  my 


REVELATION.— CHAP.  XXII.  2-il 

justice  and  of  my  power  which  are  vital  to  the  propor  setting  up 
of  my  kingdom  among  men.     (isee  notes  on  1  :  7,  and  3  :  II.) 

8.  And  I  John  saw  these  tilings,  and  heard  them.  And 
when  I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  ^Yorship  before 
the  feet  of  the  angel  which  shewed  me  these  things. 

9.  Then  saith  he  unto  me,  See  thou  do  it  not :  for  I  an) 
thy  fcllow-.serYant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the  prophets,  and 
of  them  which  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book  :  worship 
God. 

The  original  makes  the  first  clause  somewliat  emphatic,  thus : 
"It  was   1   John  who  was  hearing  and  seeing  these  things;"  or 

tlius:   "  I  John  was  the  one  who  was  hearing  and  seeing,"  etc. 

Jn  regard  to  this  ollered  worship  and  the  reply  of  the  angel,  see 
1!) :  10  and  notes  there.  It  should  be  specially  noted  that  the 
tjreck  does  not  say  or  necessarily  imply  that  tliis  revealing  angel 
represents  himself  as  one  of  the  prophets.  What  the  Greek  says 
is  precisely  this:  "1  am  a  fellow-servant  of  tliyself  and  of  thy 
brethren  the  prophets,  and  of  those  who  keep  the  words  of  this 
book."  1  am  only  a  servant — not,  as  you  may  have  supposed,  the 
very  Master  himself.  I  am  doing  a  work  common  to  the  angels 
and  to  the  prophets,  viz.,  the  revealing  of  future  events  from  the 
CJreat  God  of  the  prophets. On  the  question  wliether  this  re- 
vealing angel  was  the  spirit  of  one  of  the  old  prophets,  or  (»ne  of 
those  beings  known  in  the  scriptures  as  angels — "ministering 
spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  to  the  heirs  of  salvation"  (lleb.  1  : 
14) — the  utmost  that  can  be  said  on  this  passage  is  that  this  lan- 
guage admits  (perhaps  equally  well)  either  construction;  but  the 
analogy  of  the  whole  book  goes  solid  for  the  opinion  that  this  is 
one  of  the  sinless  angels.  The  term  "angel"  is  used  in  this  book 
outside  of  this  passage  scores  of  times — always  in  this  special 
sense,  a  supra-mundane  being,  and  never  in  any  other. 

10.  And  he  saith  unto  me,  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book :  for  the  time  is  at  hand. 

Seal  not  these  things — /.  c,  for  fatui'c  generations  only  to  read  ; 
do  not  lay  them  over  in  safe  keeping  for  the  ages  to  come  as  words 
of  no  particular  account  to  the  men  of  your  own  times;  for  tlicir 
fubtllment  is  close  at  hand.  The  vital  and  personal  interest  of 
these  words  is  for  the  churches  of  Asia,  now  under  the  fires  of  per- 
secution. Let  them  know  that  God  hears  their  cries  and  sees  their 
tears,  and  is  almost  ready  to  avenge  their  blood  upon  their  guilty 

persecutors. The  injunction  not  to  seal  is  a  tacit  allusion  to  tlie 

opposite  direction  given  to  Daniel  (Dan.  8:  26,  and  12:4,  9),  the 
words  of  whose  prophecy  referred  to  events  onward  into  the  timea 
of  the  Syrian  wars  in  the  age  of  the  Maccabees,  some  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  years  distant.  But  the  things  foretold  through 
11 


242  EEVELATION— CHAP.  XXII. 

John  were  not  remote  compared  with  those  spoken  through  Dan- 
iel and  measured  by  that  standard,  but  were  near  at  hand — a  fact 
which  pci-emptorily  sets  aside  all  those  systems  of  interpretation 
which  spread  the  staple  events  of  John's  prophecies  over  the  whole 
range  of  the  Christian  age  down  to  the  Millennium. 

11.  He  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be  unjust  still:  and  he 
which  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still:  and  he  that  is  right- 
eous, let  him  be  righteous  stiU  :  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him 
be  holy  still. 

12.  And,  behold,  I  come  quickly ;  and  my  reward  is 
with  me,  to  give  every  man  according  as  his  work  shall 
be. 

The  closest  rendering  of  v.  11  which  the  genius  of  our  language 
allows  will  be  of  this  sort:  "Let  the  unjust  doer  still  act  unjustly; 
lot  the  filthy  live  filthily  still ;  let  the  righteous  man  still  practice 
righteousness,  and  the  holy  still  live  holily."  The  words  are  here 
at  all  because  the  author  thinks  of  the  moral  effects,  possible  or 
actual,  of  the  revelations  he  has  made  upon  the  men  Avhose  des- 
tiny they  reveal.  If  the  wicked  persecutors  and  the  filthy  idola- 
ters still  repel  every  warning  and  persist  in  their  iniquity,  let  them 
go  on — to  their  destruction.  !So  also  let  the  righteous  hold  on 
steadfastly  in  their  righteousness  despite  of  persecution  unto  blood; 
for  the  relribution  of  both  parties  is  close  at  hand.  "  I  come  quickly," 
1  bring  my  reward  for  both  friend  and  foe — "  to  every  man  as  his 

work  shall  be." Perhaps  the  passage  has  a  shade  of  bearing 

of  this  sort: — Although  the  wicked  should  persist  in  their  perse- 
cutions and  abominations  despite  of  these  fearful  warnings,  yet 
let  not  the  righteous  be  dismayed  or  be  tempted  to  apostasy,  but 
let  them  still  abide  in  their  integrity  and  wait  for  the  hour  of 
swift  retribution — so  near  at  hand  ! The  passage  has  been  sup- 
posed by  some  to  teach  that  death  fixes  the  character  and  there- 
fore the  destiny  of  all  men,  bad  or  good,  unchangeably.  All  I 
feel  authorized  to  say  as  to  the  bearing  of  our  passage  upon  this 
doctrine  is  that  it  seems  to  assume  that  the  wicked  men  here 
thought  of  (the  persecutors  and  idolaters  who  figure  prominently 
in  this  book)  Avill  persist  in  their  iniquity  and  therefore  will  meet 
their  just  doom.  But  the  precise  point  asserted  and  the  argument 
made  must  be  construed  as  above — the  demands  of  the  context  re- 
quiring this  construction. The  "coming"  contemplated  in  v. 

12  is  manifestly  the  retribution  predicted  in  this  book  upon  cor- 
rupt Judaism  and  idolatrous  Paganism — both  of  which  at  the  date 
of  this  book  were  historically  near. 

13.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end, 
the  first  and  the  last. 

The  most  reliable  manuscripts  reverse  the  order  of  the  last  two 
clauses,  reading  thus  : — "  The  first  and  the  last ;    the  beginning 


KEVELATION.— CIIAr.  XXII.       *  243 

and  the  end" — a  cliana;e  which  does  not  essentially  aflFect  the 
Bense. The  sentiment  of  these  woi'ds  becomes  specially  em- 
phatic by  their  relation  in  these  closing;  para^craphs.  The  Great 
^Iessiah,  Creator  of  all  worlds,  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  hu- 
man salvation,  seems  to  rise  before  us  in  the  majesty  of  his  being 
and  of  his  glorious  works  to  utter  these  last  words  of  promise,  de- 
nunciation and  warning. 

14.  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandment?,  that 
they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  aud  may  euter  in 
through  the  gates  into  the  city. 

15.  For  without  are  dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  whore- 
mongers, and  murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  whosoever 
loveth  and  maketh  a  lie. 

Remarkably  the  Sinaitic  and  Alexandrine  manuscripts  give  us, 
"washed  their  robes,"  instead  of  "do  his  commandments." 
"l?lessed  are  they  who  have  washed  their  robes,"  etc.,  Avith  prob- 
able allusion  to  7 :  14:  "have  washed  their  robes  and  made  them 
white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb;"  and  to  1  :  5:  "Unto  him  that 
loved  us  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood."  It  is 
not  easy  to  account  for  such  diversity  in  the  manuscripts.  The 
transcriber  may  have  had  in  mind  other  kindred  passages,  and 
may  have  written  from  the  thought  in  his  mind  rather  than  from 
the  copy  before  him.     In  this  case  either  reading  is  germain  to 

the  context  and  true  to  fact. All   such  have  right  to  the  tree 

of  life  from  which  sinners,  as  Adam  and  Eve  in  Paradise,  are  ex- 
cluded.  Without  the  city,  howling  like  the  undomesticated  dogs 

around  oriental  cities,  are  men  lost  to  virtue,  useless  to  their  race, 
accursed  of  God  and  of  all  the  good;  "sorcerers" — always  de- 
nounced in  the  Scriptures;    "whoremongers" — all   the   sensual, 

corrupt,  debased,  etc. See  a  similar  catalogue  of  the  various 

classes  of  the  wicked,  in  21  :  8,  and  the  notes  there.  The  doctrine 
of  the  passage  is  that  broad  and  evermore  true  one — None  are  shut 
out  from  heaven  save  those  who  are  xnijit  to  enter;  none  sent  down 
to  hell  save  those  whose  spirit  is  of  hell,  whose  hearts  are  base, 
who  have  made  themselves  only  the  more  selfish  aud  hardened 
under  all  the  influences  of  this  world  of  mercy. 

16.  I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto  you 
these  things  in  the  churches.  I  am  the  root  and  the  off- 
spring of  David,  and  the  bright  and  morning  star. 

The  precise  sentiment  with  which  the  book  opens  reappears 

here  near  its  close:  "I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel,"  etc. 'the 

"  root  of  David,"  follows  the  Hebrew  usage  of  Isa.  11  :  1,  and  Rom. 
15:  12 — the  root-shoot — a  growth  from  the  root,  equivalent  to 
"ofl'spring."  This  identifies  the  speaker  as  the  very  Messiah  of 
aucieut  promise;    the  very  Personage  whose   gospel    work    and 


244  EEVELATION.-CHAP.  XXII. 

triumphs  stand  out  so  conspicuously  in  that  eleventh  chapter  of 
Isaiah  from  -which  the  term  "root  oi'  David"  came. The  desig- 
nation, '"  Morning  Star,"  is  specially  pertinent  in  such  a  connec- 
tion— the  harbinger  of  glorious  day  ;  the  promise  and  prophecy  of 
light  and  glory  to  this  Avorld,  otherwise  all  desolate! 

17.  And  the  Spirit  and  the  I)iide  say,  Conic.  And  let 
him  that  heareth  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  atliirst 
come.  And  whosoever  ■will,  let  him  take  the  ^^•ater  of  life 
freely. 

The  tone  of  this  verse  considered  in  view  of  its  place  amid  tlie 
scenes  of  this  book  is  wonderfully  rich  and  impressive.  Think 
of  the  real  author's  standpoint  and  of  the  grand  objects  that  lie 
within  his  range  and  ours.  The  "river  of  the  water  of  life"  is 
flowing  before  the  eye ;  the  joys  of  the  redeemed  have  come  down 
in  their  voices  of  song  and  alleluias  of  praise  and  triumph.  Over 
against  these  there  have  been  visions  of  the  lost;  the  smoke  of 
their  torment  arising  forever  and  ever ;  the  lake  that  burneth  with 
lire  and  brimstone  -opening  its  horrid  jaws  to  engulf  for  evermore 
the  filthy,  the  abominable,  whoremongers,  idolaters ;  and  not  least, 
we  have  the  grand  issue  of  the  great  moral  conflict  of  earth — 
victory  for  Zion  and  magnificent  success  to  the  gospel  in  subduing 
the  world  to  Jesus — all  significant  of  the  grand  truth  that  "  the 
seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head,"  and  Satan  be 
not  only  foiled  but  infinitely  cursed  for  his  antagonism  to  God  and 
goodness,  and  all  his  followers  with  him.  And  now  all  these 
sublime  realities  standing  embodied  before  us  in  speaking  sym- 
bols, the  voice  of  the  inditing. Spirit  is  heard — "Here  is  salvation 
for  lost  men :  Come  to  these  waters  of  life  !  "  The  "  bride  " — as  if 
conscious  of  her  high,  destiny  and  thrilled  with  the  glory  of  her 
marriage  union  with  the  Lamb — lifts  up  her  voice  and  cries,  Coine  I 
And  that  the  call  may  never  lack  voices  to  utter  it  and  to  send  its 
summons  round  the  globe,  let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come!  And 
lest  some  sad,  consciously  guilty,  despairing  soul  should  say — 
"That  invitation  can  not  mean  me" — it  is  added.  Let  him  that  is 
athirst,  come  !  Last  of  all,  to  give  the  call  the  broadest  possible 
scope,  it  is  proclaimed,  "  Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water 
of  life  freely  !  "  Provided  for  all ;  offered  to  all ;  welcome  to  all; — 
none  shall  fail  but  those  who  rule  themselves  out — none  save  those 
who  dash  the  brimming  cup  from  their  own  lips ;  none  but  those 
who  hate  Jesus  and  love  death ! 

18.  For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the  words 
of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  If  any  man  shall  add  unto 
these  things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are 
written  in  this  book: 

19.  And  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from  the  words  of 
the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall  take  away  his  part 


REVELATION.-CHAP.  XXII.  245 

out  of  the  bdok  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city,  and  from 
the  thiugs  ■which  are  written  in  this  book. 

Fitly  and  most  solemnly  the  book  closes  -with  admonitions  against 
cither  adding  or  takin<r  from  the  things  herein  written.  Let  them 
stand  as  the  very  words  of  God !  Let  tlicm  stand  undiluted,  un- 
impaired, unmodified  ;  for  how  should  man  be  wise  above  («od ! 
How  should  he  dare  to  tone  down  the  fearful  thrcatcnings  of  this 
liook,  or  shift  their  application  from  the  sinner  of  Avhom  God  has 

sjtoken  ? While  these  visions  thus  apply  in  their  full  force  to 

all  intentional  or  careless  change  in  these  words  either  by  adding 
or  by  subtracting,  they  liave  also  a  subordinate  application  to 
misconstructions  and  misinterpretations  through  prejudice  or  lack 
of  diligent  attention  to  the  legitimate  principles  of  prophetic  lan- 
guage. ;Most  solemnly  sliould  all  those  who  preach  from  this  book 
and  all  who  profess  to  expound  it  give  heed  to  these  admonitions. 
May  the  spirit  of  truth  impress  on  all  his  servants  a  supreme  re- 
gard for  the  integrity  of  these  words  and  a  solemn  and  Avholesome 
fear   of  changing   their  significance  to  make   them   mean  cither 

moi'c  or  less  than  what  God  has  said  and  intended  ! The  textual 

corrections  in  these  verses,  suggested  by  the  best  authorities,  are 
not  of  vital  moment.  In  v.  IS,  instead  of  "Add  unto  these  things," 
read  "Add  unto  them" — i.  e.,  the  words  above  spoken  of  In  v. 
10,  instead  of  "book  of  life,"  they  have  "  tree  of  life.'' 

20.  He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith,  Surely  I  come 
quickly :  Amen.     Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus. 

The  best  authorities  modify  the  text  of  this  verse  so  that  it  reads 
ill  this  simple  way — "He  that  testifieth  these  things  saith,  Verily 
I  come  quickly."  [The  pro})het  answers]  "  Amen ;  come  Lord 
.Icsus."  Thus  his  full  heart  responds  to  the  Avclcome  assiu-ance 
that  the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  iu  retribution  upon  both  saint 
and  sinner — the  two  great  parties  who  appear  in  antagonism 
throughout  this  book — was  then  near  at  hand. 

21.  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  he  with  you  all. 
Amen. 

In  the  best  authorities  the  apostolic  benediction  takes  this  sim- 
ple  form:  "The  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus   be  with  all." Thus 

this  peerless  book  closes.  Long  have  its  sublime  utterances  and 
its  grand  predictions  thrilled  the  hearts  of  men  :  more  and  more, 
as  its  true  significance  is  more  correctly  evolved,  may  it  be  an 
cffeotive  power  toward  that  great  consummation  of  victory  to  Zion 
and  her  King  which  its  symbols  so  magnificently  foreshow. 


DISSERTATION   1  = 


on  THE  THEORY  THAT  "  DAY,   IN  rUOrUECY,  MEAN'S   YEAR. 

Does  the  vcord  "day"  in  prophecy  mean  a  year? And  on  the 

Bame  prhiciple,  must  other  periods  of  time,  e.  g.,  months  and  years, 
be  multiplied  by  three  hundred  and  sixty  to  ^et  the  real  time  in- 
tended ? This  is  our  question. Technically  and  in  short,  this 

is  often  called  the  "day-for-a-year-thcory;"  but  it  is  supposed  to 
apply  not  only  to  the  usage  of  the  word  lor  day,  but  equally  to  the 
vord  for  month  and  at  least  to  the  word  "time,"  which  Daniel 
uses  for  a  year.  So  that  the  broad  principle  is  that  prophetic  no- 
tations of  time  must  be  multiplied  by  three  hundred  and  sixty  to 

pet  the  real  historic  duration. 1  am  compelled  to  discard  this 

theory  as  utterly  baseless,  false,  and  of  course  mischievous  and  de- 
lusive; for  the  following  reasons: 1.  All  reasonable  presump- 
tion is  utterly  against  it.  For  prophecy  comes  from  God  to  men  in 
the  common  language  of  men.  If  it  did  not,  it  would  reveal  noth- 
ing, without  a  special  revelation  to  explain  it — a  new  revelation  to 
teach  the  meaning  of  the  new  prophetic  language.  Symbols  in 
prophecy  are  no  exception.  For  in  the  statements  made  respecting 
these  symbols,  words  are  used  in  their  well-known  sense.  The 
word  "lion"  means  a  lion,  and  the  word  "bear"  means  a  bear. 
When  a  lion  is  seen  in  vision  as  a  symbol,  we  fall  back  upon  the 
known  qualities  of  the  lion  and  his  known  relations  to  other  ani- 
mals to  find  the  significance  of  the  symbol.  But  this  is  in  no  w.ay 
peculiar  to  prophecy.  We  should  do  just  the  same  in  poetrj'',  or  in 
common  conversation.  So  that  symljols  in  prophecy  are  no  excep- 
tion to  the  common  law  that  prophecy  comes  to  us  in  merely  hu- 
man language,  using  its  words  in  their  established  and  well-known 
sense.  Hence  the  presumption  is  entirely  against  this  theory  of 
day  for  year.  If  God  speaks  to  men,  the  presumption  is  wholly  ia 
fiivor  of  his  using  the  common  language  of  men  in  its  usual  sense. 
The  Hebrews  had  suitable  words  Ibr  both  day  and  jear,  and  they 
n?cd  them  as  correctly  as  we  do  ours.  If  God  had  occasion  to 
speak  to  them  of  time  in  the  future,  why  should  he  not  use  their 
language  as  they  did? 2.  No  reason  lying  in  the  nature  or  ob- 
jects of  prophecy  aflbrds   the  least  presumption   in    favor  of  this 

theory. 'J  he  only  reason  which  1  have  ever  heard  of,  or  seen, 

assigned  for  this  usage  of  day  fur  year,  is  that  God  meant  to  make 


21^8  DISSERTATION  I. 

his  statements  as  to  time  unintelliiiiljle  until  tlicir  fiilfillnient.     That 

is,  he  meant  to  lock  up  this  part  of  the  truth  and  hide  tlie  key. 

I  reply,  1.  There  is  no  evidence  that  God  has  intended  or  tried 
to  hide  what  he  seemed  to  reveal.  There  is  no  evidence  of  his  re- 
sortini;  to  enigma  lest  prophecy  should  be  understood  too  soon.  It 
does  not  appear  that  he  has  been  specially  careful  to  hide  the  point 
of  duration  lohile  profcasivg  to  reveal  it.  When  he  chooses  not  to 
reveal  the  time  of  events,  he  manifestly  forbear's  to  give  it;  this  is? 
all-sui2cient  for  that  purpose.  What  would  be  gained  by  puttina 
liis  revelations  in  the  Ibrm  of  a  puzzle  or  riddle?  Not  to  say  here 
that  this  would  seem  to  be  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  great  God,  I 
still  press  this  question ;  Why  should  the  Ix)rd  thus  tantalize  his 
people  and  mock  their  desire  to  undei'stand  what  he  has  said  in 
prophecy  as  to  the  time  of  predicted  events  ?  Where  the  Lord 
sees  fit  to  say  nothing  about  the  time,  we  bow  to  his  wisdom. 
Where  he  has  spoken  of  the  time,  why  may  Ave  not  try  to  undei-- 
stand  wliat  he  says ;  and  further,  why  should  we  not  assume  thrit 
he  laas  revealed  these  notations  of  time  to  be  studied  and  understood 
and  not  to  puzzle  and  confound  the  honest  inquirer?  Yet  further: 
the  notion  that  God  meant  to  put  things  in  such  a  shape  that  tho 
real  time  should  come  to  light  only  after  the  event,  and  only  by 
means  of  the  event,  is  utterly  without  sujiport;  for  there  is  no 
prophecy  in  that;  it  foretells  nothing  about  the  time;  of  itself  it 
means  nothing;  and  no  good  reason  can  be  given  why  God  should 
in  this  way  profess  to  communicate  prophecy  and  yet  communi- 
cate nothing! 

2.  If  this  precise  plan  of  day  for  year  had  been  adopted,  a 
few  well-authenticated  f\icts  would  have  brought  the  key  to  light, 
and  would  have  effectually  frustrated  the  object  of  concealment. 
I'^or,  after  the  key  is  found,  it  is  a  very  simple  matter  to  use 
it.  Nothing  can  be  more  simple  or  more  certain  in  its  results  than 
a  pi-ocess  of  multiplication  in  pure  mathematics.  Multiplying  a 
given  period  of  time  by  three  hundred  and  sixty  is  soon  done  and 

done  surely. ^I'he  appearance  of  artifice  in  this  scheme  seems 

to  me  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  great  and  holy  God.  It  is  alto- 
gether out  of  harmony  with  the  rest  of  the  Bible.  All  else  is  lucid, 
lionest,  and  manifestly  said  in  order  to  be  understood  by  the  docile, 

humble,  diligent  reader. Nor  let  it  be  thought  that  the  case  of 

our  Lord's  speaking  to  the  Jews  in  parables,  and  explaining  them 
only  to  his  disciples,  refutes  my  position.  For  that  was  judicial — 
a  judgment  sent  on  self-hardened  and  self-blinded  sinners  because 
of  their  chosen  blindness.  But  this  prophetic  theory,  if  true,  would 
]ie  a  judgment  on  good  men  who  love  the  truth,  and  who  honestly 
wish  to  learn  all  that  God  has  been  pleased  to  reveal. 

3.  This  theory  is  entirely  without  foundation.  It  has  no  legiti- 
mate evidence  for  its  support.     It  is  a  castle  built  in  the  air. 

There  is  not  a  single  case  of  prophetic  time,  in  which  the  fulfill- 
ment has  verified  this  principle  of  multiplying  the  prophetic  time 
by  three  hundred  and  sixty  to  get  the  actual  time.  It  is  thought 
there  are  some   events   yet   future — almost  ready  to  come — ^which 


DISSERTATION  1.  210 

will  be  in  point  and  will  prove  it  to  every  body's  satisfaction;  but 

they  riave  not  come  yet ! On  the  contrary  there  are  numerous 

cases  of  prophetic  time  already  fuUillcd  which  prove  that  designa- 
tions of  time  in  propliecy  mean  what  they  say,  and  are  to  be  taken 
in  their  usual  sense. These  statements  should  be  carefully  con- 
sidered and  well  supported.     Let  us  have  patience  to  examine  in  suf- 

ficicntdetail  the  alleged  evidence  tliata  prophetic  day  means 3'ear. 

(1.)  Appeal  is  made  to  Kum.  14:  33,34;  "  Vour  children  shall 
wander  in  the  wilderness  forty  years.  After  the  number  of  the 
days  in  -which  ye  searched  the  land,  even  forty  days,  each  day  for 

a  year,  shall  ye  bear  your  iniquities,  even  forty  years." Is  this  a 

case  of  the  word  day  used  for  year  ?  or  of  the  word  day  used  for 
only  one  three  hundred  and  sixtieth  part  of  the  time  really  meant? 
IJy  no  means.  Nothing  of  the  sort.  Througliout  this  passage,  the 
word  day  means  a  common  day, — nothing  more.  The  word  year 
needs  no  multiplying  by  three  hundred  and  sixty  to  iind  the  time 

intended. The  oi\\j  prophecy  in  this  passage — here  in  the  form 

of  a  denunciation,  or  threatened  punishment — is,  "Ye  shall  wander 
forty  years."  But  docs  this  mean,  Ye  shall  wander  in  the  wilder- 
ness three  hundred  and  sixty  times  forty  years;  i.  e.,  fourteen 
tliousand  and  four  hundred  years?  Who  can  believe  that?  If 
God  had  said,  "  Ye  shall  wander  forty  days,"  and  the  event  had 
proved  that  he  truly  meant  forty  years,  using  the  Avord  day  to  mean 
year,  the  case  would  have  been  in  point.     But  he  did  not  say  that, 

and  no  good  reason  can  be  assigned  why  he  should  have  said  it. 

Will  the  reader  still  ask.  Does  not  the  Lord  say,  "Each  day  for  a 

year?"  and  is  not  that  precisely  what  we  claim? 1  answer;  Those 

are  the  words  he  uses,  but  their  meaning  is  nothing  like  what  you 
claim,  lie  means  only  that  the  years  of  their  wandering  shall 
correspond  to  tlie  days  of  their  searching  the  land  through  their 
committee,  the  twelve  spies.  The  one  purpose  of  the  Lord  in  this 
form  of  threatening  was  to  make  their  punishment  a  perpetual  re- 
minder of  their  sin — a  thing  which  he  often  does  for  the  best  of 
moral  reasons.  All  through  their  weary  wanderings,  they  could 
say;  "Forty  days  our  brethren  searched  out  the  land,  and  brought 
back  that  unbelieving  report;  we  heard  it,  and,  indorsing  all  its 
unbelief,  we  practically  said,  Save  us  from  going  there !  The  Lord 
gave  us  our  prayer  in  judgment,  and  we  have  forty  years  before  ua 
in  this  dreary  wilderness!"     This  is  all. 

{'!.)  Another  proof  text  very  analagous  to  the  preceding  ia  Ezek. 
4 :  4-6.  Ezekiel  is  commanded  to  lie  on  his  right  side  forty  days 
and  on  his  left  three  hundred  and  ninety  days,  before  all  Israel,  to 
indicate  that  he  bears  (in  symbol)  the  iniquity  of  Judah  forty 
years,  and  of  Israel  three  hundred  and  ninety.  The  language  is; 
"  For  I  have  laid  upon  thee  the  years  of  their  iniquity  according  to 
the  number  of  the  days,  three  hundred  and  ninety  days: — So  shalt 
thou  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  house  of  Israel.  Then  lie  again  on 
thy  right  side,  and  thou   shalt  bear   the   iuiquity  of  Judah  forty 

days: — I  have  appointed  thee  each  day  for  a  year." But  observe 

throughout  this  passage  that  in  every  instance  the  word  day  is  used 


250  DISSERTATION  I. 

for  a  common  day — never  in  the  sense  of  year;  and  the  word  year 
means  only  one  year;  never  three  hundred  and  sixty  years.  True, 
the  si/mholic  act  of  lyin,i^  on  one  side  forty  days  denoted  that  in  this 
Bymbolic,  representative  manner  he  bears  their  forty  years  of  sin- 
ning; but  this  extension  of  time  from  one  day  of  symbol  to  one 
year  of  sin  lies  not  in  any  peculiar  use  of  the  word  "day,"  for  there 
15  no  peculiar  use  of  it  here ;  but  it  is  in  the  symbol,  and  is  there 

only  by  special  divine  arrangement  and  statement. If  the  Lord 

had  said  "forty  days"  when  he  meant  forty  years,  it  would  be 
•Bomewhat  to  the  point.  But  he  did  not  use  his  words  so.  There 
is  no  proof  that  he  ever  did.  Certainly  this  case  does  not  afford 
the  least  particle  of  such  proof. 

(3.)  Another  somewhat  analagous  passage  is  2  Pet.  3:8:  "One 
day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years  and  a  thousand  years  as 
one  day."  Unfortiinately  if  this  means  any  thing  to  the  yjurpose,  it 
means  far  too  much.  For  if  it  applies  to  the  case  in  hand,  the 
word  day  means,  not  one  year  only,  but  one  thousand  years  !  And 
then,  further,  one  thousand  years  mean  one  day,  and  our  long  mil- 
lennium is  cut  down  wofully  I  And  then  it  would  be  impossible  to 
tell  which  way  to  work  out  this  problem — whether  we  must  multiply 
by  one  thousand  or  divide  by  it  1  Who  could  tell  us  whether  in 
any  given  prophecy  a  day  means  one  thousand  years,  or  a  thousand 

years  means  one  day? Happily  that  little  word  "aa"  relieves 

us  of  all  our  perplexities,  showing  that  the  passage  has  nothing  to 
do  with  this  theory  that  God  says  day  when  he  means  year. 

(4.)  Much  the  most  important  passage  ever  thought  of  as  proof 
of  the  theory  in  question  is  Dan.  9 :  24-27 — the  celebrated  prophecy 
of  the  "seventy  weeks."  But  this  has  been  already  examined  in 
my  commentary  on  tlie  passage  in  its  place,  to  which  the  reader 
can  refer.  He  will  there  find  these  main  points  made,  viz. :  that 
the  oi'iginal  word  means  in  its  singular  number,  a  seven — a  heptad; 
and  this  may  be  a  seven  of  days  or  a  seven  of  years :  that  the  fern-' 
inine  plural  is  currently  used  for  hejDtads  of  days;  the  masculine 
plural  (which  we  have  here)  never  by  itself  for  the  common  week 
of  days,  but  when  a  week  of  days  is  meant,  the  word  days  is  ap- 
pended, as  in  Dan.  10 :  2,  3 ;  and  finally  that  after  a  word  and  a 
special  form  of  a  word  which  simply  suggests  the  idea  of  a  seven — 
a  seven  of  something,  we  must  ask — a  seven  of  what  ?  and  must 
look  for  our  answer  in  the  context — in  the  thought  already  before 
the  mind.  In  the  present  case,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this 
thought  is,  the  seventy  years  of  captivity.  Then  seventy  sevens  of 
years  must  be  the  sense  of  this  phrase,  and  it  involves  no  usage 
jf  the  word  day  to  mean  year — no  usage  of  any  current  notations 
af  time  in  a  way  to  need  multiplying  by  three  hundred  and  sixty 
to  get  the  actual  time. 

(5.)  All  individual  proof  texts  failing,  some  will  still  fall  back 
upon  the  general  idea  that  prophecy  has  a  special  fondness  for 
highly  figurative  language; — so  that  they  seem  to  themselves  to 
make  a  pretty  strong  argument  for  their  theory  when  they  call  it 
tu   instance   of  strong  Jigurative  language  —  such   as   abounds   in 


DISSERTATION  I.  251 

prophecy. Cut  tiiis  is  a  simple   foUacy.     TIiosc  who  say  tliis 

i'ail  alto^^ethcr  to  notice  what  figures  iu  rhetoric  arc.  Perliaps  tlioy 
confound  figures  iii  rhetoric  with  figures  in  mathematics — two 
tilings  most  unlike  in  sense,  however  like  in  the  word.  If  men 
would  only  notice  that  there  is  no  rhetoric  and  no  scope  for  the  im- 
agination in  a  mathematical  process;  e.  g.,  in  multiplying  by  three 
hundred  and  sixty,  they  might  be  disabused  of  this  fallacy.  Fig- 
ures in  language  turn  on  some  resemblances  which  only  the  im- 
agination can  recognize  and  appreciate.  But  figures  in  mathematics 
make  no  appeal  to  the  imagination.  This  " day-for-a-year  theory" 
needs  no  function  of  the  imagination  to  solve  and  apply  it.  It  re- 
quires only  a  shoi't  process  in  multiplication — in  simple  mathemat- 
ics, lias  this  the  least  analogy  Avith  the  use  of  the  Avord  "light" 
for  what  is  joyous  and  "darkness"  for  Avhat  is  sad?  Not  the  least 
imaginable.  The  failure  to  note  such  distinctions  may  serve  to 
mislead  and  delude ;  it  can  serve  no  other  purpose. 

(6.)  Of  the  proofs  from  usage  for  the  theory  in  question,  all  the 
rest,  known  to  me,  are  in  the  class  yet  to  be  fulfilled  and  verified ; 
or  rather,  like  Mr.  Miller's  Second  Advent  in  1843 — yet  to  be  ex- 

?loded.  Those  which  assi2:n  the  final  fall  of  llomanism  to  A.  I). 
806  are  soon  to  follow  Mr.  Miller's.  It  will  be  soon  enough  to 
believe  this  theory  on  the  strength  oi  fulfilled  ■proi^hecy  when  the 
cases  of  suitable  sort  and  in  sufficient  number  do  actually  occur. 

It  is  simply  amazing  that  this  theory  has  obtained  so  much 

credence  on  absolutely  not  the  least  foundation.  Against  all  rea- 
sonable presumption — in  the  face  of  the  strongest  prima  fiicie  evi- 
dence against  it,  there  should  be  a  very  imposing  array  of  substan- 
tial argument  for  it  before  it  gains  any  credence.  How  strange, 
then,  that  it  has  gained  so  much  Avithout  the  first  particle  of  reli- 
able proof? 

4.  It  still  remains  to  assume  the  offensive  against  this  theory 
and  show  that  fulfilled  prophecy  is  all  against  it.  8o  far  as  IJiblo 
history  giA^cs  us  the  fulfillment  of  Bible  prophecy  in  Avhich  notations 
of  time  are  iuA'olved,  the  "usus  loqueudi"  proves  that  AA'ords  in 
prophecy  denoting  ihne  are  used  in  their  common,  normal  sense, 
and  never  in  the  enigmatical,  peculiar  way  affirmed  by  this  theory. 
Thus  the  Lord  through  Noah  predicted  the  flood  after  one  hun- 
dred and  tAventy  years  ((Jlen.  6:  3).     Did  it  turn  out  to  be  43,2U0 

years,  or  only  120? Again  in  reference  to  this  flood,  the  Loi'd 

said  to  Noah  (Clen.  7:  4),  "Yet  scA^on  days  and  I  will  cause  it  to 
rain  forty  days  and  forty  nights."  That  Avould  have  been  aAvful  at 
forty  years,  and  Noah  and  his  company  all  that  time  shut  up  in  the 

ark! To  Abraham  (Gen.  15  :  13)  the  Lord  said,  "Thy  seed  shall 

be  a  stranger  in  a  land  not  theirs"  (Egypt),  "and  they  shall  afflict 
them  four  hundred  years."  iJoes  this  need  to  be  multljilied  by 
tliree  hundred   and   sixty  ?     Was  the  actual  time  four   hundred 

years,  or  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand? In  Num.  14: 

84,  the  prophecy  stands,  "Your  children  shall  wander  in  the  wil- 
derness forty  years."  Did  it  prove  to  be  forty,  or  tliree  hundred 
aud  sixty  times  forty — x.  e.,  fourteen  thousand  and  four  hundred? 


252  DISSERTATION  I, 

Tn  Isa.  7:  8  is  this  prophecy:  ""Within  sixty-five  years  shall 

I'iphraim  be  broken  that  it  be  not  a  people."  Was  this  really  sixty- 
live,  or  was  it  prophetic  time"  (so  called),  i.  e.,  twenty-three  thou- 
sand and  four  hundred  years?  Even  sixty-five  carries  the  end 
several  years  beyond  the  end  of  the  kinijdom  as  destroyed  by  Shal- 
rnanezer,  B.  C.  722,  for  the  reiii;n  of  Ahaz,  son  of  Kemaliah,  lay 
1>.  C.  759-740.  The  prophet  included  a  final  crowning  act  by  Esar- 
Iiaddon,  filling  the  country  with  colonists  from  other  countries,  and 
embraced  this  within  the  sixty-five  years. Isaiah  (16:  14)  pre- 
dicted of  Moab,  "  Within  three  years  as  the  years  of  a  hireling, 
shall  the  glory  of  Moab  be  contemned."  Should  this  be  accounted 
as  really  three  years,  or  as  one  thousand  and  eighty  years?  But 
if  this  is  three,  why  is  not  three  and  a  half  in  Dan.  7:  25,  and  12; 

7,  just  three  and  a  half? In  Jer.  25:  4  it  is  predicted,  "These 

nations  (Judah  included)  shall  serve  the  king  of  lUibylon  seventy 
years."  And  Jer.  29:  10  reads,  "After  seventy  years  be  accom- 
plished at  Babylon,  I  will  visit  yon,  and  perform  my  good  words 
toward  you,  in  causing  you  to  return  to  this  place."  Now  it  waa 
because  these  time-designations  meant  just,  what  they  said  that 
Daniel  could  "understand  by  books  the  number  of  the  years"  of 
this  captivity  and  adjust  himself  to  it.  It  is  plain  that  he  had  not 
a  particle  of  confidence  in  this  theory  of  a  day  for  a  year,  and  of 
one  year  named  when  three  hundred  and  sixty  years  are  really 
meant.  If  he  had  believed  this  theory,  he  would  have  set  the  res- 
toration twenty-five  thousand  and  two  hundred  years  after  the  cap- 
tivity; i.  e.,  25,200— G06=A.  D.  24,594— and  he  must  have  de- 
spaired of  living  in  this  world  to  see  it! And  now  shall  it  be 

assumed  that  after  having  had  such  welcome  proof  that  God  means 
just  what  he  says  when  he  gives  dates  and  numbei's  in  prophecy, 
he  will  hinaself  darken  his  own  dates  by  enigmas  that  none  can 
understand  ?  Or  if  it  be  replied,  This  was  not  Daniel  but  the  re- 
vealing angel,  then  I  ask,  Would  not  Daniel  have  protested  against 
it,  saying,  1  have  myself  been  exceedingly  comforted,  aided,  and 
blessed  by  being  able  to  understand  by  books  when  the  divine 
numbers  in  prophecy  would  end;  but  how  of  this?  No  mortal  can 
ever  understand  it!  0,  if  Daniel  might  only  speak  out  of  heaven 
to  those  who  so  darken  his  plain  words  and  so  magnify  his  simple 
numbers,  would  he  not  rebuke  them  ? It  can  scarcely  be  neces- 
sary to  refer  to  Ezek.  29:  11,  13,  which  predicts  a  temporary  cap- 
tivity of  Egypt;  forty  years;  not  fourteen  thousand  and  four  hun- 
dred years;  nor  to  Jonah's  prophecy  against  Nineveh;  "Yet 
forty  dajrs  and  Nineveh  shall  be  overthrown."  It  would  have 
changed  the  case  very  essentially  if  he  had  meant  forty  years.  But 
why  in  such  a  case  should  not  the  Lord  say  what  he  means,  even  as 
he  expects  and  requires  men  to  do?  Is  there  any  conceivable  rea- 
son why  he  should  say  day  when  he  means  year  ?  Is  this  accord- 
ing to  (ruth?     And  what  can  be  the  use  of  it? One  case  yet, 

more  important  than  any  other,  is  that  of  Daniel's  own  usage 
(Dan.  4:  16,  23,  25,  32).  In  each  of  these  four  verses  it  is  pre- 
dicted that  king  Nebuchadnezzar'*  insanity  would  continue  "  until 


DISSERTATION  I.  253 

seven  iimes  should  liave  passed  over  him."  So  long  he  would  be 
with  the  beasts  of  the  fiehl,. would  eat  grass  as  oxen,  and  be  wet 

with  the  dew  of  heaven.     How  long  a  period, is  this? The  jmI 

vocates  of  the  theory  in  question  maintain  strenuously  that 
Daniel's  "time,  times,  and  the  dividing  of  time,"  or  "an  half," 
(chap.  7:  25,  and  12:  7,)  equals  three  and  a  half  years,  and  that 
these  being  prophetic  years  are  really  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
years.  On  no  one  point  are  they  more  united  and  strenuous  tiian 
on  this.  Now  the  same  writer,  in  the  same  book,  will  use  the  same 
word  in  the  same  sense.  Unless  there  be  some  very  great  diller- 
cnce  in  the  circumstances,  this  rule  must  hold  good.  No  rule  of 
interpretation  can  be  more  vital  or  more  reliable  than  this.  But  in 
the  present  case  no  difl'orencc  of  circumstance  can  be  shown.  I>(ith 
are  prophecy.  Uoth  use  the  same  word;  therefore  it  must  be  usod 
in  both  cases  in  tlio  same  sense.  If  three  years  and  a  half  in 
prophecy  is  really  of  actual  time  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years, 
then  "seven  times,"  equal  to  seven  years  of  prophetic  time,  becomes, 
when  converted  into  actual  time,  twenty-five  hundred  and  twenty 

years ! — a  long  time,  trul}',  for  one  man  to  eat  grass  ! Some  people 

will  think  there  must  be  something  very  special  and  even  mystei'ious 
in  this  word,  "a  time,"  when  used  for  a  year,  and  hence  they  read- 
ily admit  this  theory  of  (so  called)  "  prophetic  time,"  when  applied  to 
Daniel's  word,  a  "  time."  But  the  seven  "  times  "  [years]  of  the  king's 
insanity  is  just  as  truly  prophetic  time  as  the  three  and  a  half  "  times  " 
[years]  of  ascendency  of  Antiochus  over  the  Mosaic  institutions  and 

sacrifices — "times  and  laws." The  cases  above  adduced  are  not 

culled  out — a  few  of  this  sort  from  amid  many  of  the  opposite. 
There  are  none  of  the  opposite  sort.  There  is  not  one  case  in  all 
the  Bible  in  which  fulfilled  prophecy  shows  that  pi'ophetic  time  is 
estimated  on  the  rule  of  a  day  for  a  year.  The  usage  of  the  Bible 
goes  solid  against  this  theory.  When,  from  its  nature,  this  theory 
ought  to  have  the  veiy  strongest  support  from  Bible  usage  before  it 
can  be  reasonably  accepted,  it  has  not  the  first  particle  of  proof  in 

its  behalf,  either  from  Bible  usage  or  from  any  other  source. As 

we  might  rationally  expect,  all  scriptural  usage  shows  that  when 
God  has  given  pro[)hetic  time,  he  meant  to  have  it  understood.,  and 
therefore  used  the  language  of  men  as  men  use  it.  One  of  his 
special  objects  in  giving  prophetic  time  has  been  to  afford  to  his 
people  the  benefit  of  knowing  the  duration,  or  the  era,  as  the  case 
may  be,  beforehand.  Therefore,  he  could  no  more  employ  a  myth 
or  a  riddle  to  puzzle  his  people  over  his  dates,  than  he  could  give 
precepts  and  inculcate  duty  in  so  blind  a  way  that  none  could  un- 
derstand him  without  a  new  revelation  to  reveal  his  meaning.  Is 
it  not  a  marvel  that  interpreters  of  prophecy  could  so  far  ignore 
the  veracity  and  the  sober  honesty  of  the  Holy  One  as  to  impute  to 
him  such  a  use  of  language  as  this  theory  involves  ? 

5.  There  is  yet  one  more  objection  to  this  theory,  lying  in  the 
fact  that  its  advocates  apply  it  only  to  the  periods  of  Zion's  calam- 
ity and  persecution :  never,  or  almost  never,  to  the  period  of  her 
prosperity     They  apply  it  to  the  prophecies  of  the  sway  of  Anti 


251:'  DISSERTATION  I. 

christ;  never  to  tlie  prophecies  of  the  true  jNIessiah's  reign 
Scarcely  a  man  within  my  knowledge  has  applied  this  enormous 
multiplier  to  the  thunsand  years  of  Messiah's  promised  reign !— - 
Now,  it  is  bad  enough  to  attempt  to  make  capricious  discriminations 
at  all  as  to  the  usage  of  words,  and  say  in  one  set  of  prophecies  day 
means  only  day  and  year  only  year ;  while  in  another  set,  day  means 
3'ear,  and  one  year  means  three  hundred  and  sixty.  This,  I  say, 
is  bad  enough  at  the  best.  But  it  is  ineffably  bad  to  apply  this 
awful  multiplier  to  the  eras  of  antichristian  rule  and  not  to  the  dura- 
tion of  the  Messiah's  reign  !  liook  at  the  reason  why  this  discrim- 
ination is  so  revolting. (1.)  It  assumes  that  God  aims  and  plan.s 

to  hide  from  his  people  the  actual  duration  of  their  calamities  until 
the  time  arrives;  or,  rather — worse  yet — he  purports  to  reveal  it; 
gives  us  the  usual  words  for  well-known  periods  of  time ;  but  uses 
them  60  that  his  "people  will  see  only  one  three  hundred  and  six- 
tieth part  of  the  truth !  He  calls  the  time  a  day  when  really  it  is 
a  year ;  he  calls  it  three  years  and  a  half  when  really  it  is  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  years  ! — — Believe  this  of  our  God — :who  can  ? 

If  he  had  seen  lit  not  to  disclose  the  duration  of  the  church's 

great  calamity,  very  well.  All  his  trustful  children  would  bow 
submissively  to  his  wisdom,  and  would  still  trust  his  love.  But 
that  he  should  profess  to  reveal  it,  and  then  state  it  at  only  one 
three  hundred  and  sixtieth  part  of  the  actual  time — that  is  simply 
horrible  1  And  then  to  cap  the  climax,  that  he  should  state  the 
duration  of  her  prosperity  in  a  way  to  make  it  seem  all  that  it  is, — 
this  sets  off  the  other  usage  in  a  still  more  strange  and  revolting 
light. (2.)  A  second  reason  why  this  discrimination  is  so  ob- 
jectionable is,  that  it  makes  the  reign  of  Antichrist  relatively  long 
and  the  reign  of  the  real  Christ  relatively  short.  Antichrist  tri- 
umphs twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years;  Jesus  Christ  only  one 
thousand!  The  eras  of  persecution,  straitness  and  calamity,  sur- 
pass the  era  of  peace,  truth,  righteousness  and  salvation!  I  take 
it  this  is  incredible.  I  have  a  full  conviction  that  the  greatness  of 
(iod's  mercy  toward  our  world  forbids  it.  The  sure  word  of  proph- 
ecy is  absolutely  and  mightily  against  it — as  witness  what  the 
Lord  said  by  Isaiah  (54:  7,  8);  "For  a  small  moment  have  I  for- 
saken thee  "  (Zion)  "  but  with  great  mercies  will  I  gather  thee.  In 
a  little  wrath  I  hid  my  face  from  thee /or  a  inornent;  but  with  ever- 
lasting kindness  -will  I  have  mercy  upon  thee,  saith  the  Lord  thy 
Kcdcemer."     Does  a  moment  compare  with  everlasting  duration, 

as    twelve   hundred   and  sixty  years  to  one  thousand  ? These 

points  may,  I  trust,  suffice  to  show  why  this  theory  never  ouglit  to 
be  true  and  never  can  be. 


DISEASES  OF  MODERN  LIFE. 

By  B.   IK  RICHARDSOJf,  M.D. 


1  vol.,  12mo,  Cloth,  S20  pages,  -  -  _  $2.00. 


From  the  Tribune. 


"  He  has  no  affinity  with  the  class  of  old-women  doctors  who  are  eternally  fussing 
and  dosing,  and  with  their  infallible  prescriptions  break  down  more  constitutions  than 
all  the  skill  of  the  faculty  can  repair.  His  principal  aim  is  to  point  out  the  causes  which 
lead  to  disease,  and  to  prevent  its  occurrence  by  observing  the  physical  laws  which  are 
the  conditions  of  health." 

From  Nature. 

"The  work  is  of  great  value  as  a  practical  guide  to  enable  the  reader  to  detect  and 
avoid  various  sources  of  disease,  and  it  contains,  in  addition,  several  introductory  chap- 
ters on  natural  life  and  natural  death,  the  phenomena  of  disease,  disease  antecedent  to 
birth,  and  on  the  etTects  of  the  seasons,  of  atmospheric  temperature,  of  atmospheric 
pressure,  of  moisture,  winds,  and  atmospheric  chemical  changes,  which  are  of  great 
general  interest." 

From  the  CJiarleston  Courier. 

"In  this  valuable  and  deeply-interesting  work  Pr.  Richardson  treats  the  ncr\ous 
system  as  the  very  principle  of  life;  and  he  shows  how  men  do  it  violence,  yet  expect 
immunity  where  the  natural  sentence  is  death." 

From  the  Toledo  Chronicle. 

"His  aim  in  the  book  under  consideration  is  to  teach  the  lis ing  generations  to  so 
conduct  themselves,  and  avoid  and  prevent  disease,  that  death  will  not  come  prematurely, 
as  is  almost  generally  the  case  at  the  present  time.  His  work  contains  many  useful  and 
valuable  hints,  suggestions,  and  directions,  and  they  arc  put  in  such  good  and  readable 
shape  that  one  does  not  lire  in  studying  them." 

From  the  Boston  Comwonwealtk. 

"Particular  attention  is  given  to  diseases  from  worry  and  mental  strain,  from  the 
prisbions,  from  alcohol,  tobacco,  narcotics,  foods,  impure  air,  late  hours,  and  broken 
sleep,  iilleness,  intermarriage,  etc.,  thus  touching  upon  causes  which  do  not  enter  into 
the  consideration  of  sickness." 


D.    APPLETON   &   CO.,   Publishers, 

549  &  551  Broadway,  New  York. 


CHRIST  IN  MODERN  LIFE. 


SERMONS  PREACHED  IN  ST.  JAMES  CHAPEL,  LONDON. 

By  Rev.  STOPFORD  A.  BROOKE,  M.  A., 

Honorary  Chaplnin-in-Ordinary  to  the  Queen. 

1  volume,   i2mo.     Cloth Price,   $2.00. 

"  Nobly  fearless,  and  singularly  strong.  .  .  .  Carries  our  admiration  throughout." 
— British  Quarterly  Review. 

"No  one  can  be  insensible  to  the  charm  of  his  style,  or  the  clear,  logical  manner  in 
which  he  treats  his  subject." — Churchman's  Monthly. 

"  No  one  who  reads  these  sermons  will  wonder  that  Mr.  Brooke  is  a  great  power  in 
London,  that  his  chapel  is  thronged,  and  his  followers  large  and  enthusiastic.  They 
arc  fiery,  energetic,  impetuous  sermons,  rich  with  the  treasures  of  a  cultivated  imagina- 
tion."— Guardian. 

"  In  the  style  in  which  it  is  written  it  is  beyond  all  praise ;  in  clearness  of  diction,  in 
delicate  truth  of  analysis,  in  beauty  and  aptness  of  illustration,  in  earnestness  and  elo- 
Huence  of  address,  he  reminds  his  reader  continually  of  T.  W.  Robertson,  while  in 
depth  and  range  of  thought,  and  in  profundity  of  view,  he  is  the  superior  of  that  almost 
m.-ilchless  sermonizer.  He  unfolds  the  incarnation  of  the  Divine  Son  of  God  in  its  ap- 
plication to  all  needs  and  phases  of  humanity,  in  its  regenerating,  guiding,  forming, 
and  perfecting  graces ;  in  its  solution  of  the  spiritual  problems  of  our  human  history ;  in 
its  adaptation  for  the  purposes  of  development,  and  sanctification,  and  saving,  and  per- 
fecting discipline  to  all  departments  of  human  life  and  action,  and  all  ages  of  our  pro- 
gressive life,  from  infancy  to  our  birth,  by  dealh,  into  a  higher  life;  in  its  adaptation  to 
individual  progression,  and  to  the  progi  ession  toward  the  good  of  our  being,  of  our 
collective  humanity,  in  a  way  most  true,  and  admirable,  and  impressive.  He  pre- 
sents, squarely  and  fully,  the  position  of  Christianity  toward  scientific  research  in  the 
utmost  advancement  which  it  has  reached,  and  draws,  clearly  and  convincingly,  the 
boundary-line  between  scientific  research  and  religious  faith  and  thought,  along  which 
each  may  advance  in  its  own  legitimate  way,  without  calling  in  question  the  rightful 
action,  in  its  own  sphere,  of  the  other."— Church  yeurnal. 

"  There  is  a  manliness  of  tone,  a  vigor  of  illustration,  a  beauty  of  language,  and 
the  manifest  beating  of  a  loving  heart  in  its  pages,  which  challenge  our  admiration." 
— Christian  Observer. 

"The  sermons  throughout  are  strong  in  thought,  the  style  frequently  beautiful,  the 
topics  of  lively  interest.  The  book  is  altogether  healthful  and  invigorating." — Chris- 
iian  Leader. 

D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

549  &  551  Bro.\d\vay,  New  York. 


"A  rich  list  of  fruitful  topics:' 

BosTo.v  Commonwealth. 


HEALTH  AND  EDUCATION 


By   the   Rev.    CHARLES   KINGSLEV,    F.   L.   S.,    F.   G.    S., 

CANON  OF  WESTMINSTER. 

i2mo.     Cloth Price,  $1.75. 

"  It  is  most  refreshing  to  meet  an  earnest  soul,  and  such,  preeminently,  is  Charles 
Kingsley,  and  he  has  shown  himself  such  in  every  thing  he  has  written,  from  '  Alton 
Locke'  and  'Village  Sermons,' a  quarter  of  a  century  since,  to  the  present  volume,  which 
is  no  exception.  Here  are  fifteen  Essays  and  Lectures,  excellent  and  interesting  in 
different  degrees,  but  all  exhibiting  the  author's  peculiar  characteristics  of  thought 
and  style,  and  some  of  them  blending  most  valuable  instruction  with  entertainment, 
as  few  living  writers  can." — Hart/ord  Post. 

"That  the  title  of  this  book  is  not  expressive  of  its  actual  contents,  is  made  mani- 
fest by  a  mere  glance  at  its  pages;  it  is,  in  fact,  a  collection  of  Essays  and  Lectures, 
written  and  delivered  upon  various  occasions  by  its  distinguished  author;  as  such  it 
cannot  be  otherwise  than  readable,  and  no  intelligent  mind  needs  to  be  assured  that 
Charles  Kingsley  is  fascinating,  whether  he  treats  of  Gothic  Architecture,  Natural 
History,  or  the  Education  of  Women.  The  lecture  on  Thrift,  which  was  intended  for 
the  women  of  England,  may  be  read  with  profit  and  pleasure  by  the  women  of 
everywhere." — St.  Louis  Democrat. 

"The  book  contains  exactly  what  every  one  needs  to  know,  and  in  a  form  which 
every  one  can  understand." — Boston  yournaL 

"  This  volume  no  doubt  contains  his  best  thoughts  on  all  the  most  import.int  topics 
of  the  day." — Detroit  Post. 

"Noihing  could  be  better  or  more  entertaining  for  the  family  library." — Zioit's 
Herald. 

"  For  thj  style  alone,  and  for  the  vivid  pictuics  frequently  presented,  this  latest 
p-oJuction  of  Mr.  Kingsley  commends  itself  to  readers.  The  topics  treated  are 
mostly  practic.-il,  but  the  manner  is  always  the  manner  of  a  master  in  composition. 
Whether  discussing  the  abstract  science  of  health,  the  subject  of  ventilation,  tlio 
education  of  the  different  classes  that  form  English  society,  natural  history,  geology, 
heroic  aspiration,  superstitious  fears,  or  personal  communication  with  Nature,  we 
tind  the  same  freshness  of  treatment,  and  the  same  eloquence  and  affluence  of  langu.ncc 
that  distinguish  the  productions  in  other  fields  of  this  gifted  author." — Pos^oii  Citzettc. 

D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  PiiUisliers, 

519  ^'  551  Bkoacvvay-   N.  Y. 


Musings  over  the  "Christian  Year" 


'^5 


''Lyra  Innocentium." 

By  CHARLOTTE    MARY  YONGE. 

Together  with  a  Few  Glefiniogs  of  Recollections  of  the  Rev.  John 
Keble,  gathered  by  Several  Friends. 

One  small  thick  121110.     Printed  on  tinted  paper.     Price,  $2.00. 


"  The  '  Christian  Tear,'  by  Rev.  John  Keble,  has  found  a  place  in  tiie 
hearts  of  pious  Churchmen,  second  only  to  that  of  the  '  Pilgrim's  Progrcfs ' 
among  Christians  generally.  It  consists  of  poems  on  all  the  churchdavs 
of  the  year,  in  which  the  deepest  thoughts  of  a  saint,  a  poet,  a  scholar, 
and  a  pastor,  when  stirred  with  the  strongest  feelings  both  of  Christian 
and  of  man,  find  expression ;  and  these  '  Musings '  of  Miss  Yonge  Avill 
interest  every  admirer  of  that  famous  work.  In  a  series  of  annotations 
on  these  poems,  Miss  Yonge  has  sought  to  seize  and  express  the  subtle 
meaning  of  the  poet,  and  explain  a  few  difficulties  in  their  arraigement 
and  allusions.  Nearly  one-third  of  the  book  is  occupied  with  recollections 
of  Rev.  John  Keble,  in  which  is  presented  with  singular  distinctness 
the  life  of  one  of  the  saintlicst  nicn  of  modern  times.  The  style  of  Miss 
Yonge  is  one  of  charming  purity  and  simplicity,  and  the  entire  volume 
as  a  book  of  devotion  will  be  read  with  profit  by  all  Christians."— C'AwrcA 
Journal. 

"All  the  principal  religious  festivals  of  the  year  are  appropriately  al- 
luded to  in  this  volume,  with  suitable  reflections  thereon.  The  book  par- 
takes more  of  a  series  of  sermons  t'lan  any  thing  else,  although  prayci-s 
arc  occasionally  introduced.  AU  whose  i-eligious  views  coincide  with 
those  expressed  in  the  work  will  find  it  interesting  and  instructive."— 
Rochester  Democrat. 

D.    APPLETON    &   CO., 

549  &  551  BRO.\DWAY.  NEW  YORK. 


PRIMARY  TRUTHS  OF  RELIGION. 

By  Right  Rev.  THOMAS  M.  CLARK,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 

BISHOP  OF  BUODE  ISLANn. 

1  vol,,  12mo.    Price,  $1.00. 

From  the  Alligcmeine  Literarsche  Zeitunff,  Berlin r 

"  We  find  in  this  boolv  of  the  Bishop  of  Rhode  Island  a  contribution  to  Christian 
apologetics  of  jn'eat  interest  and  value.  The  boolv  discusses,  in  five  parts,  the  proWiiiis 
of  Theism,  the  fundamental  principles  of  morals,  revelation,  inspiration,  and  Chris- 
tianity. The  great  quc;stions  i>ertaininff  to  these  several  heads  Bishop  Clark  has  most 
satisfactorily  solved  with  a  genuine  philosophical  spirit,  and  on  the  basis  of  comprf- 
bensivo  studies.  The  work  j^ves  evidence  throuffhout  of  the  author's  familiarity  with 
the  fundamental  problems  of  the  philosophy  of  rehgion.  The  Bishop  is,  without 
doubt,  an  eloquent  and  original  thinker;  and  his  work,  which,  in  its  logical  develop- 
ment, is  acute,  and  clear,  and  precise,  will  enchain  the  interest  of  the  readers  for  whom 
it  has  been  written.  As  a  short  but  exhaustive  book  for  doubters,  we  gicct  this  pro- 
duction of  one  of  the  most  distinguished  members  of  the  American  Ejjiscopate,  and 
wish  for  it  an  abiding  success." 

From  the  EnQlish  Churchman  and  Clerical  Jorirnal,  London: 
"  Bishop  Clark  has  published  this  pithy  treatise  to  meet  the  unsettled  state  of  mind 
of  his  own  countrymen  in  relation  to  the  '  fundam  cntal  princi])les  of  faith  and  morals.' 
The  language  is  admirably  lueid  and  clear,  and  the  meaning  of  the  writer  is  never 
buried  under  profound  and  technical  phraseology,  too  often  used  in  such  works.  Cler- 
gymen will  find  it  excellently  fitted  for  teaching  to  thoughtful  working-men  in  their 
parishes." 

From  the  Church  Opinion,  London  : 

"Bishop  Clark's  work  is  invaluable,  as  it  is  not  written  in  a  style  above  the  capabili- 
ties of  the  general  public,  but,  in  words  easy  to  be  understood,  refutes  the  doctrines 
of  Positivism." 

From  a  review  in  the  Literary  WbrkJ,  London: 

"We  welcome  this  book  from  the  pen  of  an  American  Bishop.  Dr. Clark  has  done 
well  in  this  volume  on  'The  Primary  Truths  of  Keligion.'  With  clearness,  concise- 
ne.s.s,  logical  force,  breadth  of  tone,  wise  discrimination,  convincing  statement,  he  deals 
with  fundamental  facts.  Indeed,  the  whole  work  is  one  which  may  be  put  into  the 
hand  of  any  thoughtful,  sincere  unbeliever  In  the  great  truths  witli  which  it  deals. 
Its  candor  will  awaken  admiration,  and  its  reasoning  lead  to  faith." 

From  the  yew  York  Erprcsx : 

"The  author  of  this  valuable  little  work  is  a  distinguished  Bishop  of  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Cliurch,  and  has  conferred  a  benefit  on  his  co-rehgionists  and  on  earnest 
Christians  generally,  by  the  ju-oduction  of  this  estimable  hand-book  of  Orthodoxy. 
Avoiding  dogmatic  theology,  ho  clearly  and  with  great  eloquence  presents  the  scrip- 
tural and  historical  evidences  in  favor  of  ^-evcaled  religion,  meeting  the  cavils  of  ob- 
jectors with  calm  and  well-digested  argtmients  that  will  claim  attention  from  even 
the  most  confirmed  skeptics.  The  chapters  on  the  evidences  of  the  great  truths  of 
Christianity  are  especially  worthy  of  commendation.  Indeed,  the  whole  work  will 
prove  an  acceptable  addition  to  the  controversial  religious  literature  of  the  day." 

From  the  Boston  Transcript: 

"This  clear  and  candid  treatise  is  not  dogmatic,  but  entirely  tme  to  its  title.  Tlie 
writer,  in  a  plain  and  lucid  stylo,  addresses  himself  to  the  unsettled  condition  of  miml 
which  prevails  so  extensively" in  regard  to  the  doctrines  that  underiie  all  our  'Systems 
of  Divinity.'  His  answers  to  fundamental  questions  are  given  in  a  catholic  spirit  that 
recognizes  the  fact  that  doubt  is  not  sinfid  in  itself,  and  there  is  no  little  bkeptici.sm 
which  is  to  be  treated  with  sympathetic  and  rational  consideration." 

From  The  Liring  Church: 

"The  book  of  the  Bishop  of  Rhode  Island  is  timely.  It  is  of  a  kind  which  the 
church  needs.  It  is  fair,  honest,  and  open.  It  does  not  sneer  at  what  it  does  not  im- 
derstand.  It  addresses  itself  in  simple  and  honest  terms  to  honest  and  thoughtful 
men.  It  is  calm  and  judicial.  It  states  opposing  views  wth  great  fairness;  it  takes 
up  a  position  which  must  command  respect,  and  it  states  it  in  terms  which  are  moder- 
ate, and  show  appreciation  of  the  force  of  opposing  views." 

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D.  Appleton  <fc  Company^s  PuUicalions. 


EIGHTEEN  CHRISTIAN  CENTURIES. 

By  the  Rev.  JAMES   WHITE, 

AUTnOK   OF   A   UISTOKT   OF  FKA>-CE. 

1  vol.,  12mo.    Cloth,    538  pages $1.75. 


COKTTEISrTS. 

I.  Cent. — The  Bad  Emperors. — II.  The  Good  Emperors. — III.  Anarchy  apj 
Confusion.— Growth  of  the  Christian  Church.— IV.  The  Removal  to  Constantluople. 
— Establishment  of  Christianity.— Apostasy  of  Julian. — Settlement  of  the  Goths.— 
V.  End  of  the  Koman  Empire. — Formation  of  Modern  States. — Growth  of  Ecclesi- 
astical Authority. — VI.  Belisarius  and  Narses  in  Italy. — Settlement  of  the  Lom. 
bards.— Laws  of  Justinian. — Birth  of  Mohammed. — VII.  Power  of  Rome  supported 
by  the  Monks. — Conquests  of  the  Mohammedans. — VIII.  Temporal  Power  of  the 
Popes. — The  Empire  of  Charlemagme. — IX.  Dismemberment  of  Charlemagne's 
Empire.— Danish  Invasion  of  England. — Weakness  of  France. — Eeign  of  Alfred. — 
X.  Darkness  and  Despair. — XI.  The  Commencement  of  Improvement.— Gregory 
the  Seventh. — First  Crusade.- XII.  Elevation  of  Learning. — Power  of  the  Church. 
— Thomas  k  Becket. — XIII.  First  Crusade  against  Heretics. — The  Albigenses. — 
Magna  Charta. — Edward  I.— XIV.  Abolition  of  the  Order  of  Templars.— Rise  of 
Modern  Literature. — Schism  of  the  Church.— XV.  Decline  of  Feudalism.— Agin- 
court.— Joan  of  Arc— The  Printing-Press.— Discovery  of  America. — XVI.  The 
Reformation. — The  Jesuits. — Pohcy  of  Elizabeth. — XVII.  English  Rebellion  and 
Revolution.— Despotism  of  Louis  the  Fourteenth. — XVIII.  India. — America.— 
France. — Index. 


OPINIONS    OF    THE    PRESS. 

Mr.  White  possesses  in  a  high  degree  the  power  '•f  epitomizing — that  faculty 
which  enables  him  to  distill  the  essence  from  a  mass  of  facts,  and  to  condense  it  in 
description;  a  battle,  siege,  or  other  remarkable  event,  which,  without  his  skill, 
might  occupy  a  chapter,  is  compressed  within  the  compass  of  a  page  or  two,  and 
this  without  the  sacrifice  of  any  feature  essential  or  significant. — Century. 

Mr.  "White  has  been  very  happy  in  touching  upon  the  salient  points  in  the  history 
of  each  century  in  the  Christian  era,  and  yet  has  avoided  making  his  work  a  more 
bald  analysis  or  chronological  table. — Providence  Journal. 

In  no  single  volume  of  English  Hterature  can  so  satisfying  and  clear  an  idea  of 
the  historical  character  of  these  eighteen  centuries  be  obtained. — Home  Journal. 

In  this  volume  we  have  the  best  epitome  of  Chriptlvn  ITistokt  extant. 
This  is  high  praise,  but  at  the  same  time  just.  The  author's  peculiar  success  is  in 
making  the  great  points  and  facts  of  history  stand  out  in  sharp  relief.  His  stylo 
may  be  said  to  be  STKF.Eosropic,  and  the  efl'oct  is  exceedingly  impressive.— iVoii- 
dfnce  Press. 


CowLEs's  Notes  on  the  Old  Testameni 


J.     THE  MINOR   PROPHETS, 

1  vol.,  12mo.     $2.00. 


II.    EZEKIEL   AND   DANIEL, 

1  vol.,  12mo.     $2.25. 


III.    ISAIAH. 

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ir.    PROVERBS,   ECCLESIASTES,    AND 
THE  SONG    OF  SOLOMON. 

1  vol.,  12mo.    $2.00. 


F.     NOTES    ON  JEREMIAU. 

1  vol.,  12mo.     $2.25. 


By   Rev.    HENRY   COWLES,   D.   D. 


From  TJi6  Christian  Intelligencer,  27'.  T, 
"These  works  are  desisrnod  for  both  pastor  and  people.  They  em  body  tho  re- 
Btilta  of  much  research,  and  elucidate  the  text  of  sacred  Scripture  with  admirable 
force  and  siinpUcity.  The  learned  professor,  havinfr  devoted  many  years  to  tht 
close  and  devout  study  of  the  Bible,  seems  to  have  become  thoroughly  furnished 
with  all  needful  materials  to  produce  a  useful  and  trustworthy  commentary." 

From  Dr.  Leonard  Bacon,  of  Yale  College. 
"  There  is.  within  my  knowledj^e,  no  other  work  on  the  same  portions  of  th« 
Bible,  combining  so  much  of  the  results  of  accurate  scholarship  with  so  ijuch  cooi- 
Eon-sense  and  so  much  of  a  practical  and  devotional  spirit." 

From  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Wolcott,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
"The  author,  who  ranks  as  a  scholar  with  the  most  eminent  graduates  of  T«U 
College,  has  devoted  years  to  the  study  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  in  tho  original 
tongues,  and  the  fruits  of  careful  and  independent  research  appear  in  this  work. 
With  sound  scholarship  the  writer  combines  the  unction  of  deep  religious  expe- 
rience, an  earnest  love  of  the  truth,  with  a  remarkable  freedom  from  all  fanoil'al 
•peculation,  a  candid  judgment,  and  the  faculty  of  expressing  his  thoughts  clearly 
tnd  forcibly." 

From  President  E.  B.  Fairfeld,  of  ITillsdale  College. 
"I  am  very  much  pleased  ^v^th  your  Commentary.  It  meets  a  want  which 
ASS  long  been  felt.  For  various  reasons,  the  wi-itings  of  the  prophets  have  const* 
TOted  a  sealed  book  to  a  large  part  of  the  ministry  as  well  as  most  of  tlie  romraoB 
people.  They  ai-e  not  sutReii  utly  understood  to  mahe  them  appreciated.  Toni 
Muf  Dot«ii  relieve  them  of  all  their  want  of  interest  t(>  common  ree/lers.  I  tMitb 
BOB  k«T«  bUd  iust  enough." 


A  Complete  Biblical  Library. 

THE 

TREASURY  OF  BIBLE  KNOWLEDGE: 

niUNG 

A     DICTIONARY 


The  Books,  Persons,  Places,  Events,  and  other  matters,  of 

which    mention   is   made   in   Holy    Scripture.     Intended 

to  establish  its  authority  and  illustrate  its  contents. 

I3y    HJT.V.    JOIIlSr    ^YrtE,    ]M.  Js.., 

OP  GONVILLE   AND   CAIU3   COLLEGE,    CAMBEIDGE. 

Illuitrated  ivith  many  hundred  ivoodciits  and  fifteen  full-page  steel  plates, 
draivn  hf  yustyne^from  original  photographs  by  Graham,  and  fi-ve 
colored  maps.      I  thick  -volume,  izmo,  (^^^  pages.      Price, 
Cloth,  $4.00;    Half  Calf,  §5. 

Sstvl  free  hy  mail  on  receipt  of  the  price. 


"  The  general  object  of  this  work  is  to  promote  the  intclliiiiciit 
use  of  the  Sacred  Volume  by  furnisliing  a  mass  of  information  rc- 
ppectiii.a;  Palestine,  and  the  manners,  customs,  religion,  literature,  arts, 
and  attainments  of  the  inhabitants  ;  an  account  of  the  countries  and 
races  with  which  the  Hebrews  had  relations,  together  with  sonie 
notice  of  all  the  persons  and  places  mentioned  in  the  Bible  and 
Apocrypha.  The  history  and  authority  of  the  books  themselves  are 
discussed  conjointly  and  severally.  I  have  been  anxious  to  study  the 
best  authorities  for  what  is  asserted,  and  to  bring  up  the  informa- 
tion to  the  most  modern  standard.  I  have  not  written  hastily, 
therefore,  but  have  spent  some  years  in  the  compilation  of  this 
volume." — Extract  from  the  Preface. 

"Among  the  books  which  should  find  a  place  in  the  collection  of 
every  Christian  man,  who  seeks  to  have  in  his  possession  any  thing 
beyond  a  J{il)le  and  hymn-book,  we  know  of  none  more  valuable 
than  '  The  Treasury  of  Bible  Knowledge.'  It  is  in  all  respects  the 
best,  as  it  is  the  most  convenient  manual  for  the  Biblical  student  yet 
published.  AVe  hope  to  see  this  work  in  the  hands  of  every  Sunday- 
Bchool  and  Bible-class  teacher." — American  Baptist. 

«i  «  *  *  Qng  f,f  ^]^p  most  valuable  publications  ever  issued  by 
that  house." — Xew  Yorkrr. 

D.  APPL'ITON  &  COMPANY, 

Publishers  and  Booksellers, 

649  &  551  BroaJuxv/,  J^ew   Tori 


^fEW    REVISED    EDITION. 

Entirely  reiurittcn  hy  the  ablest  writers  o>i  every  subject.     Printed  from  new  ty/e, 
and  illustrated  with  several  thousand  Engravings  and  Maps. 

The  work  originally  published  under  the  title  of  The  New  American  Cyci.op-edia 
was.completed  in  1863,  since  which  time  the  wide  circulation  which  it  has  attained  in  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  and  the  signal  developments  which  have  taken  place  in  every 
branch  of  science,  literature,  and  art,  have  induced  the  editors  and  publishers  to  submit 
it  to  an  exact  and  thorough  revision,  and  to  issue  a  new  edition  entitled  The  American 
Cyclopedia. 

Within  the  last  ten  years  the  progress  of  discovery  in  everj-  department  of  knowledge 
has  made  a  new  work  of  reference  an  imperative  want. 

The  movement  of  political  affairs  has  kept  pace  with  the  discoveries  of  science,  and 
their  fruitful  application  to  the  industrial  and  useful  arts  and  the  convenience  and  refine- 
ment of  social  life.  Great  wars  and  consequent  revolutions  have  occurred,  involving 
national  changes  of  peculiar  moment.  The  civil  war  of  our  own  country,  which  was  at 
its  height  when  the  last  volume  of  the  old  work  appeared,  has  happily  been  ended,  and 
a  new  course  of  commercial  and  industrial  activity  has  been  commenced. 

Large  accessions  to  our  geographical  knowledge  have  been  made  by  the  indefatigable 
explorers  of  Africa. 

The  great  political  revolutions  of  the  last  decade,  with  the  natural  result  of  the  lapse 
of  time,  have  brought  into  public  view  a  multitude  of  new  men,  whose  names  are  in 
every  one's  mouth,  and  of  whose  lives  every  one  is  curious  to  know  the  particulars. 
Great  battles  have  been  fought,  and  important  sieges  maintained,  of  which  the  details 
are  as  yet  preserved  only  in  the  newspapers,  or  in  the  transient  publications  of  the  day, 
but  which  ought  now  to  take  their  place  in  permanent  and  authentic  history. 

In  preparing  the  present  edition  for  the  press,  it  has  accordingly  been  the  aim  of  the 
editors  to  bring  down  the  information  to  the  latest  possible  dates,  and  to  furnish  an  ac- 
curate account  of  the  most  recent  discoveries  in  science,  of  every  fresh  production  in 
literature,  and  the  newest  inventions  in  the  practical  arts,  as  well  as  to  give  a  succinct 
and  original  record  of  the  progress  of  political  and  historical  events. 

The  work  was  begun  after  long  and  careful  preliminary  labor,  and  with  the  most 
ample  resources  for  carrying  it  on  to  a  successful  termination. 

None  of  the  original  stereotype  plates  have  been  used,  but  every  page  has  been 
printed  on  new  type,  forming  in  fact  a  new  Cyclopaedia,  with  the  same  plan  and  com- 
pass as  its  predecessor,  but  with  a  far  greater  pecuniary  expenditure,  and  with  such 
improvements  in  its  composition  as  have  been  suggested  by  longer  experience  and 
enlarged  knowledge. 

The  illustrations,  which  are  introduced  for  the  first  time  in  the  present  edition,  have 
been  added  not  for  the  sake  of  pictorial  effect,  but  to  give  greater  lucidity  and  force  to 
the  explanations  in  the  text.  They  embrace  all  branches  of  science  and  of  natural  his- 
tory, and  depict  the  most  famous  and  remarkable  features  of  scenery,  architecture,  and 
art,  as  well  as  the  various  processes  of  mechanics  and  manufactures.  Although  intended 
for  instruction  rather  than  embellishment,  no  pains  have  been  spared  to  insure  their 
artistic  excellence;  the  cost  of  their  execution  is  enormous,  and  it  is  believed  that  they 
will  find  a  welcome  reception  as  an  admirable  feature  of  the  Cyclopjedia,  and  worthy 
of  its  high  character. 

This  work  is  sold  to  subscribers  only,  payable  on  delivery  of  each  volume.  It  is 
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trated with  several  thousand  Wood  Engravings,  and  with  numerous  colored  Litho- 
graphic Maps. 

PRICE  AND    STYLE    OF    BINDING. 

In  extra  cloth,  per  vol $s-oo       ^n  half  russia,  extra  gilt,  per  vol. .  $8  00 

In  library  leather,  per  vol 6.00       hifnll  mor.  ant.,  gilt  edges, per  vol.  10.00 

In  half  turkey  morocco,  per  vol 7.00       In/tdl  russia,per  vol 10.00 

*jf*  Specimen  pages  of  the  American  Cyclop-edia,  showing  type,  illustrations,  etc., 
will  be  sent  gra.tis,  on  application. 

New  York:   D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  Publishers. 


Date  Due 


-O  n^T^I 

OC  fc 

'JUN 

L  5|  198/ 

„^,m0mmm»o^ 

"*J^ 

JUN  1  5  i: 

¥ 

JUN  IK  1990 

JUIS 

|0  i^^l 

^ 

1 

L 

JUN] 

\i994 

f 

\ 

lUN^ 

,^995 

f) 

BS2825.C875 

The  Revelat,onofJohnw,th  notes 


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